Fact Vs Fiction
by Anime crazed girl
Summary: Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel to The Actors. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact Vs. Fiction.
1. Getaway

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

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_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more. XD Howl's Moving Castle belongs to Hayao Miyazaki. (AMAZING MOVIE)

_Notes:_ Sigh. So let me put this in caps before someone gets confused. **THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO THE ACTORS. PLEASE, READ THE ACTORS FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT.** Now that that's out of the way, here's what's going on. As promised, here is the sequel of The Actors, but I am warning you NOW, **This story will be much slower than The Actors**.  
Why? A few reasons. _One)_ I'm in my senior year of High school, which as most know, is quite a fun trip. Free time = hard to come by. _Two)_ I'm afraid carpal tunnel is starting to set in. My wrists have been hurting near constantly recently, and I think it's because of all the artwork/notes for school/typing I've been doing. I will be taking breaks now and then to recuperate. _Three)_ This story is also much darker than stories I've done previously, so I'm not all that sure on how it's going to go.

Sorry for this being so long, so I'll wrap up now. XD I hope you enjoy the first chapter!!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

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Chapter 1 – Getaway

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As the credits rolled off the large movie screen, the lights turning back on, Namikaze Kirei let out the largest yawn of her life, blinking her eyes for only a moment, not wanting to pick her head up off her boyfriend's shoulder.

Just as she'd suspected, the movie was amazing, but the blonde was too tired to even bother with moving. She'd spent half the day shopping for the dress she was currently wearing, a few hours getting dolled up and – despite the notion that walking a red carpet wasn't all that tiring – Kirei had to admit to herself that it was tiring. Smiling and walking and being out past her usual bedtime made her extremely sleepy.

Maybe if she got lucky, she could get Sasuke to carry her home.

"Tired already?" One Uchiha Sasuke asked, looking down at his tired blonde with a small smile on his face. He knew it was way past her bedtime, but was she really so tired that she wasn't bothering to pick her head up?

Kirei closed her eyes, snuggling a bit closer to him; her way of saying yes.

Sighing, Sasuke couldn't help but smile down at her. "Okay, Princess. We'll go home and you can go to bed."

She was quick to get up, stumbling only slightly from the high heels she hadn't gotten used to wearing yet.

Thankfully, Sasuke was used to her stumbles and falters, seeing as how she'd done them all night and it was almost the same way she acted when she was tired, so he was quick to get up and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her close and stabilizing her. "Come on, Princess." He told her, kissing her on the temple, seeing Naruto glare at him in the corner of his eye.

Letting it go, yet wondering why Naruto seemed so miffed at a small kiss, he walked on, leading his blonde out of the packed movie theater and down the paparazzi packed red carpet.

"Don't forget," The raven continued, squinting at the thousands of flashes when he turned his head toward her. He decided that burrowing his face in her neck would protect his eyes better. "I still have that little secret of mine to tell you."

Kirei smiled as his bangs tickled her neck like always, more awake than she had been moments ago. She kept her eyes closed to keep the flashes out of her eyes. "You're actually going to tell me now?" She asked, knowing that Sasuke never liked to tell her secrets with all these people around.

"If I wait until we get home to tell you, you'll be asleep." He replied, smiling as he planted a small kiss on her neck. He had a feeling she was pouting.

And she was, although it was just a playful pout. She couldn't hold a smile back for long, his kisses making her giggle.

"When Itachi and I were younger," He began, picking up his head and opening onyx eyes, looking back and forth to make sure they were going the right way and that no one heard his little plot. "And my parents weren't lunatics," His thumb began caressing her waist gently, eyes closing once more to try to block out those old memories he'd forgotten. "we had this little condo out in the Land of Water that we'd visit every summer to get away from all the chaos and such in Konoha. It was right on the beach, a few blocks down from the boardwalk…2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms…it was kinda our home away from home."

Kirei nodded, eyes still closed, knowing he was serious as he spoke. "I know what you mean." She said, remembering her old home miles away from Konoha; the home where she and Daisuke lived.

"Well," He continued, turning out of the red carpet and heading down the road to their right, on their way home. He also checked to make sure no one was able to hear him, seeing a few of their friends behind them, but not close enough to hear. "I decided to look into it and see if we still had it, being that we'd both kinda forgot about it…"

Curious blue eyes looked over at him, lips set slightly apart in disbelief. Had Sasuke planned a vacation for just the two of them?

A smile crossing his lips told her that yes; he had planned something of the sort. "Yes," He nodded. "I found it…and since Itachi and I never use it…I decided that we're gonna go on vacation next week, just you and – "

"I don't think so."

"Fuck."

Turning her head and body slightly to see better, Kirei found her cousin behind them, his eyes focused into a glare directed toward Sasuke. "Nii-san!" She cried, surprised he was there, Hinata at his side. The turn off for the Hokage Manor was roads back. "What're you doing here? The turn off was – "

"I know," Naruto nodded, his hard look turning much softer as he looked at his younger cousin. His glare returned when he looked back at Sasuke, who still refused to look at him. "but I refuse to let you two go on vacation together. Hinata and I will come with you." He said, noticing the Uchiha tense up, but didn't care. He wasn't letting his little sister go anywhere alone. Ever again.

"Naruto…" Hinata cooed, looking over at her boyfriend in disbelief. "You can't do that…it's their – "

"Of course I can," He answered, eyes narrowing. "I'm her Nii-san. What time are you leaving, Teme?" He asked, knowing the raven would answer. Sasuke always looked for approval from Naruto when it came to Kirei.

"Saturday. Early morning." Sasuke growled between gritted teeth. He knew better than to tell Naruto to fuck off, although he'd like to. After nearly half a year, Sasuke had finally gotten back the person who made him happy, the person he loved most. God damn him being a selfish bastard and wanting her all to himself, but that's what he wanted. Time for them to get through everything that'd happened and get back to life.

But no.

Naruto just had to stomp all over that, didn't he?

Snarling slightly as he looked at the ground, his grip on Kirei's waist rather tight, he continued, growling. "Don't be late or we might forget you."

Naruto let out a chuckle, slapping a hand on the Uchiha's back rather hard. "Oh, you wouldn't forget me, teme!" He said, so much malice dripping in his voice. It was more like a warning than a statement.

Seeing the way Sasuke glared at the ground and hearing her cousin's rather ominous voice, Kirei stayed silent. She wouldn't refuse her cousin of spending time with her; he was one of the only family she had left. It would almost be like refusing her brother and that, Kirei would never do.

But on the other hand, she felt as if she were refusing Sasuke by not speaking up. He had planned this whole little vacation for the two of them; just the two of them and now, when her cousin had butt in, she didn't have the nerve to say anything. She knew Sasuke would never tell off her cousin since he was dating her, after all.

Sighing and gathering up her courage to say she didn't want him to be there, Kirei turned and all her confidence went right out the window, disappointment filling her heart.

There was no one behind them. Only deserted buildings, a bench and one lit lamppost stood behind them as they walked.

She turned back to Sasuke, still seeing that rather pissed of look on his face. "I'm – "

That look was quick to leave his face when he heard her speak as he looked over at her. "No, it's okay," He cut her off quickly, planting a kiss on her temple. "I know you can't tell him no."

"Yeah, but…" She retorted softly, turning her head away from him as the loft came into view, eyes lowering to the ground. "You planned this just for us…I should – "

"Princess," Sasuke said, setting one finger on her jaw and gently turning her head to face his. He leaned down to catch her sight when she didn't immediately look at him. "It's okay. Seriously."

She opened her mouth to interrupt, but the raven was quick to silence her, placing his finger on her lips.

"As long as you're there, I don't care if Naruto and Hinata come." He told her, seeing her lips turn up in a smile slightly. "Yeah, it pisses me off that he just invited himself like that…but I think Hinata'll keep him occupied." He smirked, leaning over and kissing her sweetly.

Despite his words, Sasuke had a looming feeling that Naruto was going to be a real pain in the ass on this vacation.

* * *

True to his feelings, Naruto was definitely being a huge pain in the ass.

To Sasuke.

He was adorably sweet when it came to Hinata and like the big brother he always was to Kirei, but when his attention was focused on Sasuke, it was like the devil himself had possessed the blonde.

Case in point, when they were just leaving Konoha, Naruto was hell bent on carrying Kirei – who was still sleeping since they were leaving at 6 in the morning – and nearly chopped off Sasuke's head when he went to wake her up enough to get her down the stairs.

Even Hinata wondered why Naruto was acting like that, and if Hinata didn't know, Sasuke thought, than no one knew.

Fortunately for him, when Kirei and Naruto came downstairs, Kirei shuffled right toward Sasuke while rubbing her eyes of sleep, not even caring that his hands were wrapped around the handles of luggage and walked right up to him, nuzzling against his chest. It was the first thing she always did in the morning; why was this any different?

Seeing the glare on Naruto's face, Sasuke could only help but smirk and hold her tightly. He even asked if she wanted him to carry her and of course, she nodded.

Which just meant that Naruto couldn't steal her away from him, as he was trying to do.

But now, after nearly a full day's travel, they'd arrived in one of the largest port/tourist cities in the Land of Water, Kaigangakure, or Seashore City as some called it.

It was both a port city and a tourist city, one half of the town centered around shipping, it's beaches lined with ports and huge ships, while the other half of town was mainly for tourists. It had many restaurants and "gift shops", along with a huge boardwalk that was lined with jewelry, tattoo, clothing and miscellaneous shops and even a small bar or restaurant here and there.

Sasuke led them to the road closest to the beach, heading toward the outsides of town. "It's the old looking white condo." He told them, memories of his childhood flooding back as they neared the old building.

Despite the weathered looking siding, the two-story condo didn't look all that bad. Yeah, the plants and bushes outside the place were nearly dead, but it still looked nice.

"It's a nice place." Hinata said as she looked it over, landing on the sidewalk in front of the building just after Sasuke.

The Uchiha couldn't help but smirk as he set Kirei down and opened the small front gate. "Just wait until you see the inside." Grabbing the bags he was carrying after Kirei took a few, even though he told her he'd get them, he lead them up the small sidewalk and up the steps, setting down one bag and opening the screen door, taking his key and unlocking the front door, pushing it open. "Welcome to home for the next week."

Kirei was the first to walk in, nearly dropping her bags when she saw the inside.

Directly to her left was a daybed, covered with an impossible number of pillows, covered in a white, pink flowered bedspread, sitting opposite of a tv stand with a rather outdated tv covered in dust sitting with in. Beside the tv stand was a dresser with 3 drawers on each side, a small lamp set upon that, with a window-like opening showing them further into the condo. To her right was another dresser, albeit smaller, with a small fake floral display on it, a mirror set above that.

Hinata followed her inside, also almost dropping her bags. She took in this first living room while Kirei walked further inside.

Beside the dresser on her right was a door and when Kirei opened it, she found a small room, probably the second bedroom with two single sized beds in it. They had a small nightstand with a lamp in between them, a closet to the far left, a window on the wall on the far right. Poking her head in further, she found a large, but short dresser right against the wall, another small tv set upon that. A glass cabinet filled the space between the dresser and the far wall. All in all, it was a cute room.

She looked back to the door, seeing her Nii-san and Sasuke walk in. She shot a smile to Sasuke and then continued into the condo.

Walking past the first living room, the blonde smiled, feeling tile beneath her feet and seeing the pure white kitchen to her right. It was a walk-in kitchen, a small counter and cabinet on her left if she turned into the kitchen. To her right was a large counter, leading the whole way to the wall, a dishwasher sat before the corner, where the sink was located, along with many cooking utensils within stand up containers. Next to the sink were a medium sized oven and a white refrigerator.

Even though it was a small kitchen, Kirei was sure it'd fit enough food for all four of them. Well, with Naruto in the house, she hoped it'd fit enough food.

The main counter of the kitchen had a bar like top set upon it, a huge glass table set beside that. She suspected that this was where the Uchiha's ate when the lived here.

The main living room could be seen after that, since there was no doorway. It just seemed to lead into the living room, where a three-cushioned couch sat next to the wall, two end tables sat on each side of it, lamps on top of them. In front of the couch was a glass coffee table, a leather chair set on the farther side of the table. There was another chair, a wicker chair on her immediate right, but she frowned at it. From this side, you really couldn't see the tv all that well.

Beside the wicker chair was a small mantle, a fireplace underneath that, a flat screen Tv mounted upon the wall above the mantle, making Kirei sigh in relief. At least there was one up to date tv in the house.

Beyond the fireplace was another door and as she walked through the living room and opened this door, she smiled, finding the master bedroom before her eyes.

It was a much larger room, almost as large as the living room. A king sized bed sat against the back wall, in the center of the room, while a long dresser sat opposite of it, another flat screen Tv on top of the dresser. To the far right was a closet, and beside that was another door, probably leading to the bathroom, which she'd look at later.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist and a chin sit upon her shoulder. "Like it?" Sasuke asked, onyx eyes watching his girlfriend's mesmerized blue eyes.

"Uh-huh." She answered, unable to make any other sound with her mouth, eyes locking onto the glass doors at her far left, or rather, the porch and beach that lay behind those doors. "It's beautiful."

With a smirk on his face, the raven kissed his Princess's neck and then pulled away from her for only a second as he lifted her completely off her feet, marriage style.

Suddenly lifted off her feet, Kirei squealed and laughed in surprise, hooking her arms around her lovely Prince's neck, smiling as he carried her across the room.

He carried her all they way to the large bed, putting her down gently, his smirk turning into a smile. A very perverted smile.

Kirei continued to smile, keeping her arms around his neck as he straddled her, his hands placed firmly on each side of her head, onyx eyes staring into her own.

"And we've got it all to ourselves." He said, leaning down and ensnaring her lips with his, kissing her sweetly.

The hands around his neck laced into jet-black locks, pulling him even closer as she kissed back. When his tongue grazed her bottom lip, she smiled, keeping her lips shut tight.

He smiled back and after a few moments, forced his way into her mouth, feeling her tongue war with his.

Sighing into his mouth, Kirei couldn't believe how far she'd gotten with Sasuke. A year ago, she never would've imagined she'd be on a bed with her raven, his tongue in her mouth. She never would've imagined that she _**wanted**_ to be on a bed with her raven. She knew she wasn't ready for sex, but she was slowly getting closer.

His hands itching as he kissed her, he removed them from the bed, letting them travel down Kirei's waist, to the hem of her shirt where he fiddled with it for only a moment before letting his hands slip underneath.

He could feel her stomach move against his warm hands, fingers tracing circles around her belly button as he kissed harder, wanting to hear something from Kirei.

"Ahem."

God damn it all, Sasuke thought, nose scrunching as his tongue retreated from his blonde's mouth. He just had to have the worst luck on the face of the planet, didn't he? Just when he'd gotten Kirei all to himself, Naruto had to just "pop" in.

It was a very good thing his mouth was currently preoccupied with Kirei's or else he'd be speaking pure profanity. Much more profanity than either blonde had heard in their lifetimes.

Lips formed into a very obvious scowl, he pulled away from her, turning his head and glaring at the blonde who leaned on the doorway. "What?" He spat, glaring pure venom at his "best friend". More like pain the ass.

Arms crossed, a scowl set on his lips, blue eyes glaring holes into the raven on top of his sister, Naruto leaned against the door of the master bedroom, using his head to motion to the living room. "Meeting in the living room." He growled, eyes narrowing at the raven. "Now."

Her arms hung loosely around Sasuke's neck, Kirei looked back and forth between the two, her face deep, deep red. She couldn't even imagine what was running through her Nii-san's mind; given the rather embarrassing position she and her Prince were in.

"Fine." Sasuke snapped, leaning down and kissing his blonde just to piss off Naruto more. He let Kirei remove her arms from his neck and pulled away from her, taking both of her hands in his to help her up off the bed.

Now standing, the blush still very apparent on her face, Kirei fumbled with her shirt and hair, trying to fix them as Sasuke led her to the living room, Naruto following behind her.

His maliciousness was so great, she could feel Naruto glaring into the back of Sasuke's head.

Sitting on the three-cushioned couch, Hinata ruffled her eyebrows slightly at the three walking in. One pissed off raven, an embarrassed Kirei and a pissed of Naruto. What a great combination… "So," She began, feeling the tension in the air as Sasuke sat down, Kirei sitting next to him and darting her eyes to the floor. "What's this meeting for?"

Despite his want to sit in between Sasuke and Kirei, Naruto stayed standing, his scowl turning into a devilish grin as he looked back and forth between the three of them. "Rooming arrangements."

With those two words and the grin on the blonde's face, Sasuke's heart fell deep into his chest, his scowl and the grip on Kirei's hands loosening. He had a very sure feeling that he was not going to like the blonde's next words.

"Now let see…" Naruto continued, smiling even more at the crestfallen face of the Uchiha. "You own the place, right, Teme?" He glanced over at the raven.

Arching an eyebrow, Sasuke nodded hesitantly. "…Yes…" What was Naruto up to now…?

"Good." The Uzumaki answered, showing off his trademark grin. Sasuke was going to love this. "Nee-chan and I will take the master bedroom. Hinata," He said, turning to his girlfriend. "You can have the spare room and Sasuke," He turned to the raven, that devilish smirk returning. "You can take the daybed."

The living room went dead silent after Naruto's words.

Hinata's mouth had dropped open, her clear eyes staring in total disbelief at her boyfriend. They were on vacation, although they really weren't invited and he was telling her that she could have the spare room, while he was staying in a completely different room?! What's the point of being on vacation if she couldn't be with her blonde?!

It seemed to Hinata, as she looked over at Kirei and Sasuke, that the point of this vacation wasn't to be with her, or to enjoy it…but to keep Sasuke away from Kirei.

She sighed heavily, shaking her head as Naruto smiled. She thought he was already over being the overprotective older brother.

Kirei first looked to Sasuke and then back to her cousin, not sure what to think. Sure…sharing a room with her cousin wasn't a horrible thought…but they were on vacation, at least, she was supposed to be on vacation with Sasuke…and for a while, it seemed as if Naruto was trying to keep her away from him, but now…Kirei was sure of it.

Naruto was trying to keep Sasuke away from her. He wasn't even allowing them to sleep in the same room! With a worried look on her face, Kirei looked back to Sasuke wondering what was running through his mind.

_'I'm gonna kill him.'_ That thought had been on repeat on Sasuke's mind ever since he'd caught them in the master bedroom. He knew Naruto was going to be a major pain in the ass on this vacation, but Sasuke never really realized exactly how much.

First he denies him a vacation with his Princess, and now he's denying him sleeping in the same room as her?! That's just like denying him sleep!

One way or another, Sasuke vowed that he was going to get Naruto back for this. He didn't know how, or when, but he swore, his glare hard and focused onto the blonde, he'd get him back.

Even though his eyes were closed, Naruto knew Sasuke was pissed, but he didn't care. "Okay then," He began, still smiling as he clapped his hands together. "now that we have the rooms decided, we can start unpacking!" He was quick to shoot a glare at Sasuke, but then bounced off, heading for the first living room where the bags were.

Hinata sighed a heavy sigh, knowing she was going to have to talk to her beloved little blonde sometime tonight. Closing her eyes, she got up, also heading into the other living room and grabbing her bags.

Despite the fact that he shouldn't be trying to keep Sasuke and Kirei apart, he was right in saying they should unpack. Better now than tomorrow morning.

As Hinata walked away, Kirei stayed seated, rolling her lips as she also sighed, wishing she had more courage to speak up. Once again, when she could've said something, anything in protest, she was silent. She just let her cousin have his way. "I'm really sorry." She mumbled, staring at the ground, her hands still with Sasuke's one.

Scheming about how to torture Naruto best, the raven looked over at her words, eyes softening when he saw her. "Kirei…" He started off softly, both his hands reaching over to hers, massaging them. "It's okay. Real – "

"You keep saying that." She said, keeping her sight away from his. "But I know you're just saying that. It's not okay." She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and leaning against him, knowing he was listening. "Nii-san shouldn't be doing this…I shouldn't be letting him do this…I mean…" Kirei's voice faded away as she took a deep breath and rolled her lips.

"Shhh…" Sasuke said calmly, taking only one hand away from hers and wrapping it around her, pulling her closer. "There's nothing you can do about it, Kirei," He whispered, burrowing his face into her hair, wanting only her to hear it as Naruto passed into the master bedroom, a scowl on his face. "Naruto's just being an asshole…and that is not your fault."

"But," She interrupted, shaking her head ever so slightly, a shiver running through her body as Sasuke breathed against her ear. "I want to sleep with you. I want to spend our vacation, the one you planned, with you. I – "

"Don't you worry," The Uchiha cut her off, his hands leaving hers and slipping around her waist as he tickled her, knowing it would bring a smile to her face. "We will spend time together. I don't care if I have to shackle him and throw him in the closet. We will spend time together," He reassured, planting kisses on the edge of her jaw, feeling her smile. "Okay?"

Smiling, she slipped her arms around his shoulders, gently laying her head on his. "Yeah…" She said, her voice a little happier than before.

He smiled back, keeping his lips close to her ear, his voice soft. He didn't want that glaring blonde hawk of a pain in the ass to overhear. "Now, go ahead and get unpacked. I'll unpack too and as soon as we're done, we'll let Naruto order pizza and while he's busy doing that…"

Kirei's smile grew just a little wider, hearing that playful tone in his voice. She knew he was planning something in that clever little mind of his. And whatever it was, it was, without a doubt, good for the two of them.

"We'll sneak outside and hide away for a while…okay?" He finished, kissing the bottom of her ear, smiling.

Kissing jet black locks, the blonde smiled and pulled away from him, knowing that another pair of eyes were on her. "I guess I'll go unpack then." She let a sly smile slip to Sasuke and then raised her arms up, stretching before she got up from the couch and walked away, into the other living room to get her bags.

Still sitting on the couch, Sasuke smiled as he watched her, his eyes shifting to another blonde when she disappeared. Immediately, black eyes were narrowed, glaring to meet the glare on him. "What?" He spat, standing up.

Leaning on the doorway once again, Naruto kept his glare adamant, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm keeping my eye on you."

Snarling every so softly, Sasuke walked away.

* * *

"So," Naruto asked happily, walking into the small kitchen after finally unpacking everything of his. "Who's ready for some pizza?!"

Hearing the word "pizza", Kirei nearly flew from the master bedroom, her bag not even halfway unpacked. Pizza meant time to spend with Sasuke. "I am!!!" She cried, running over to the kitchen counter, her smile large as Hinata walked out from the spare room and Sasuke walked up from the other living room.

"Pizza sounds great," The raven said as he walked up, smiling when he saw the glint in his blonde's eye as he walked up to her. "Doesn't it?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling the top of her head sweetly.

Standing in the walkway of the kitchen as Naruto grabbed the phone, clear eyes saw both the glint in Kirei's eyes and the smile on the Uchiha's face. A sly, but happy smile crossed her lips. "So that's what their up to…" She mumbled, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah, I want to place an order for take out." Naruto said, opening and poking his head into the refrigerator, holding the phone beside his ear.

Pushing off the counter she was leaning on, Hinata winked to both Kirei and Sasuke, walking up beside her blonde and tapping his shoulder. "Naru, honey," She said, opening clear eyes wide, pouting her lip. "I think I want some Chinese too…"

His eyes focused on that one lip, his mouth opening slightly.

As her little blonde focused on her, she looked behind him, to the couple watching.

With a smile and a wink, Kirei and Sasuke took hands and quietly walked across the living room and to the giant glass doors, opening them as quietly as they could and slipping out the door.

As soon as Sasuke shut the door, he peered back inside, seeing Naruto nearly drop the phone as Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and pull him close. She smiled and gave a subtle look to the Uchiha. "I think we'll have more than enough time on our hands." He said, smiling.

Following his sight, Kirei let a smile slip on her lips. "We'll have to thank Hinata sometime. But," She continued, bringing her eyes back to those onyx eyes she loved. "Where are we gonna go?"

His smile turned into a smirk. "A place that Naruto would never think to look."

Before her eyebrows could crease, Kirei was suddenly lifted off her feet, her arms instinctively wrapping around her raven's neck as he jumped up, landing softly on the top of the nearly flat roof of the condo. "The roof." She smiled as he set her down and then sat behind her and pulled her close. Leaning against his chest, she tilted her head back, allowing her to see her raven. "Good idea."

He kissed the tip of her nose with a smile, letting his arms wrap around her small waist and hands lace with hers. Without words, he used his head to motion to the shoreline.

Letting her eyes linger for only a moment, the blonde followed his motion, sighing in content when she saw the beginning of a very beautiful sunset. Her fingers closed just a little tighter with his, pulling his arms around her more as she snuggled against him, smiling.

How she wished time would stop right there.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it must've at least been an hour, since the sun had gone well beyond the horizon.

During that hour of beautiful sky and holding his blonde close, the raven was thinking. He knew that on vacation all thought should be on fire and out the window, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but ask why.

Why Naruto was being such an asshole. And especially to him! Weren't they best friends, after all?

When he'd first started dating Kirei, Naruto wasn't near as possessive, or protective. Sure, he had his moments of, "Hurt her and I kill you," but it wasn't like this. He wasn't purposefully trying to keep the two away.

Now that the Uchiha thought about it, all of this started after Akatsuki. After Kirei had been kidnapped. After the Seven Tail got out. After the base burned to the ground. After they'd –

"I think I know why Naruto's doing this." Sasuke mumbled softly, loosening his grip on the blonde in front of him.

Blinking to come away from her daydreams at his words, Kirei whined softly as he let her go and then smiled when he set his hands on her waist. She squealed when he picked her up and turned her around, pulling her onto his lap and holding her there. "You do?" She asked softly, bringing her blue eyes to look into his.

Onyx eyes were looking at her, but they weren't looking at her eyes. It was more like he was looking at _**her**_. "Yeah." He answered her softly, nodding. "Kirei," He began, eyes shifting down, to her hands. "Do you remember a few months ago, when we found you at Akatsuki?"

His voice was so soft, if her eyes hadn't been watching his lips, she wouldn't've heard it.

Closing her eyes for only a moment to think back, Kirei opened blue eyes to find that his were on hers. For once, she was ashamed to answer. "…No."

He didn't seem surprised by her answer, hands on her waist moving up to her face, cupping her jaw gently. "You had a cut here," He said, right thumb moving across her check, from the bridge of her nose to nearly the end of her jaw. "and," He continued, moving her bangs out of her left eye. "you had a bruise here." He let his eyes travel to that spot, imagining the bruise once more.

Kirei listened in silence, eyes watching his although he looked at where her cuts and bruises used to be, black eyes very soft, very much in remembrance.

His fingers never left her skin as they slid down her face, resting gently on semi red lips. "You were coughing up blood…" They slid farther, to her throat. "And you couldn't speak."

She gulped, feeling his fingers against her neck. She didn't know whether to apologize or say anything. She decided it best to stay silent.

His eyes slipped shut as his hands left her throat, setting gently on her waist. Even when he opened his eyes, he kept them from her sight, looking at her lap or the shingles on the roof. "It wasn't easy…seeing you like that."

Despite the fact that he wouldn't look at her, she watched him, feeling her heart race slightly. "…I'm…I'm sorry…" She whispered softly, feeling as if she should be sorry. She should remember. She should remember everything…but she couldn't.

Everything was a blank.

He looked back up at her, depths of sadness in his eyes. "It's not your fault, Kirei." He said, making sure she understood that fact, keeping his onyx eyes on her sapphire ones, hands clenching just slightly. "It won't ever be…" His voice lost some confidence as he went on. "It's just…" His eyes flickered away, heart beginning to race in his chest. "It was scary…seeing you lying there. We thought you were dead."

Kirei didn't realize she was crying until a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I was scared…that I'd lost you…and that I couldn't…" The Uchiha's voice faded away as his eyes closed in pain.

Holding a watery smile on her lips, Kirei pulled him into her arms and into her chest, holding him tightly. She couldn't help but close her eyes too.

He never shed a tear, his hands leaving her waist and wrapping around her, holding her close to him. He burrowed his face into her chest and gripped her shirt tightly. He wasn't ever going to let her go.

The blonde's tears had since stopped, although her eyes remained closed. Her hands kept him close, one petting the back of his head, trying to get him to calm down somewhat.

It was a few minutes before either one spoke or moved. As far away as they were, they could hear the roar of the waves crashing against the beach.

Sasuke never released his blonde, but at least let her shirt go, pulling away from her only slightly. He took a very deep breath, keeping onyx eyes away from her blue eyes.

She let him sit back up, but her hands never left him. They simply slipped down and laced together behind his neck. "Sasu – "

"Do you remember your first day in the hospital?" He cut her off, voice still very soft, eyes shifting from her lap to the roof.

Despite him not looking at her, she lowered her neck, trying to get his eyes to look at her. When his question registered in her mind, she blinked, eyes drifting downward. Yet another thing she didn't remember. "…no…" She replied softly, rolling her lips.

He figured as much, but wasn't upset in the least. None of this was her fault. "…I went in to see you…about 15 minutes after you got out of surgery…" He sighed, remembering the details a little better than he would've thought. Before continuing, he smiled only slightly, taking only one hand away from her and reaching up to his neck, removing her right hand from his neck and holding it with his. "I sat there for I don't know how long just playing with your hand…"

She felt his hand turn hers over, his thumb pressing gently into her palm. But she stayed silent, not knowing what to say and knowing that Sasuke never talked like this to her. Or to anyone.

"And all of a sudden…you started waking up…and you asked me where you were." He had more of a smile coming onto his face, although he still wouldn't look at her.

She watched his eyes, never seeing that look before. It was so soft…so…caring.

"I told you that you were home. In Konoha." He continued, gently pushing her fingers into her palm. "You sighed as best you could in relief."

She chuckled softly. Yeah, that sounded like her.

"Then you asked about Akatsuki…" Sasuke said, his voice becoming slightly louder. "And I told you they were dead…all of them but you and Itachi. You nodded and then asked about Naruto."

Kirei knew she shouldn't remember any of this, being under anesthesia since she'd been in surgery, but somehow, it felt familiar. If she closed her eyes, it felt even more familiar.

Before continuing, he pulled the fingers he pushed into her palm back, examining her palm. "I told you he was sleeping and that he'd – "

"Forever." Kirei said suddenly, eyebrows knitting together as her eyes closed just a little tighter. Why, of all times, did that word pop into her mind?

She didn't understand it. She remembered nothing of that day and yet this one word was just in her mind, flashing a bright sign at her. It was right there in her heart…but why?

A large smile crossed the Uchiha's face as he closed his eyes, taking her hand in his and putting it back around his neck. His hand returned to her waist, tickling her only slightly as he brought his face very close to hers, his lips right beside her ear. "You asked me to stay with you."

Kirei couldn't help but smile. And smile broadly. When she opened her eyes, she smiled even more, finding onyx eyes on her own. She didn't even give him the chance to say anything before pulling him into a kiss, wanting to express how much she loved her Prince.

There were no words in any language that could express it more.

"Kirei!!"

Sasuke smiled as he kissed back, hands gently gripping her shirt to hold her close to him. It was good to hear Naruto freaking out.

"TEME!!!!" A crash sound accompanied his scream.

Kirei was also smiling, although, she was chuckling, her hands woven in his hair, gripping the black locks tight.

When they finally broke apart a few minutes later, nearly gasping for breath, both sets of eyes closed, Kirei leaned her forehead against his, her hands still holding his black locks, his still holding her tightly.

"I think…" Sasuke began in pants, trying to catch his breath. "he's overcompensating for seeing you almost dead…"

She listened quietly, keeping her eyes closed and pants silent. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"He's afraid to see you…get taken and get hurt again…" He added. "And so…he's keeping everything away from you…even me."

"Just like prom 2 years ago." She said, remembering how outrageous her Nii-san had been back then. He'd yelled at her enough to make her hate him, if only for that one day.

Sasuke chuckled, remembering that day. "Yeah, like then."

"I'm going to murder you, teme!!!"

Both blonde and raven sighed, hearing Naruto's shouts through the building. The neighbors in the condo next to theirs could probably hear too. They'd probably start complaining soon.

Sighing, Sasuke didn't want to say it. "I guess we should head back down now." He didn't need to open his eyes to know that Kirei was pouting, almost begging him to stay. So he didn't open his eyes.

When he didn't open his eyes like she did, she whined lightly, pushing her lips onto his. "Please?"

"No," He refused, eyes still closed as he turned his head. "we should go back down." He could feel the grip on his hair loosen considerably. "But," He continued, opening his eyes and looking at her, a smirk placed on his face. "we'll come back to our little rooftop anytime you want to, okay?"

She was still pouting, although both knew she was trying to hold back a smile. "Okay, Sasuke…" She mumbled, averting her eyes playfully.

He smiled, watching those eyes. "Come on, Princess," He quickly moved his hands to her waist and poked her sides, making her squeal in surprise. "Let's go inside and get something to eat."

With smiles on their faces they disentangled from the other, making their way to the edge of the roof, where Kirei refused to let Sasuke get her down. She wouldn't let him catch her, or hold her and then jump off. No, she wanted to get down on her own, to prove to both him and her Nii-san – although he wasn't watching – that she could do things without them.

So, Sasuke jumped down first, staying very close to her. He had a looming suspicion that Kirei was going to slip and he wasn't about to just let her slip and fall. Even in the dark, he kept a sharp eye, just waiting for her to fall.

Keeping her grip on the roof and gutter, cautiously letting one foot reach down far enough for her toes to find the railing. After her toes came her whole foot, and when she felt secure enough, let the other foot come down.

With well-trained eyes, Sasuke watched as Kirei set her whole weight on that one foot and turned it ever so slightly to come down. That turn, he knew, would make her slip and fall, which is exactly what she did.

She shrieked loudly when she didn't feel something beneath her feet, her hands slipping off the roof.

But Sasuke was ready for it; he'd seen it coming and with arms held out, he caught her, gripping tight to let her know he'd caught her. "Shhhhh," He said softly, noticing just how close she was. "It's okay…"

Her arms were wrapped completely around his neck, her left shoulder close enough to his lips that he could literally move his head forward and kiss it. He hadn't realized it, but she'd buried her head completely into his shoulder, her hands gripping his shirt tight. Tighter than she'd ever gripped his shirt before.

He ruffled his brows at it, but shook his head slightly, throwing the thought from his mind as he began to set her back on her feet.

Her hands gripped tighter. "No, don't," She begged, burrowing closer. "Don't put me down yet."

He could hear the fear in her voice, black eyes trying to find hers. When he didn't, feeling how her nails gripped into his shirt and almost into his back, he smiled. "Don't worry, Kirei. I won't." He whispered to her, feeling her body relax slightly. The fall must've scared her more than he thought.

Inside the condo, a fuming Naruto ran from out of the second living room at the sound of the scream and when he saw his cousin, his little sister in that bastard's arms, he growled. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he stomped toward the porch.

Coming out of her own room, Hinata immediately knew what was happening. "Oh no you don't," She mumbled, jumping out in front of him and holding him back, clamping a hand over his mouth. "You're not going out there."

"BRrrrfff!!!" He protested, which just made Hinata push him away even more.

"No." She replied, voice very stern. "Naruto, what did I tell you about but – " Hinata silenced herself when the glass door slid open. Keeping Naruto back, she turned her head and when she saw them, she couldn't hold back a smile.

Sasuke was the one shutting the door, although his one hand was currently preoccupied with both of Kirei's hands, her eyes watching him. She looked a little shooken up, if Hinata looked at her right.

Just as soon as the door was shut and locked, Kirei pulled the Uchiha along, coming right up to the both of them at the counter.

Hinata could've sworn Naruto was biting at her hand to let him speak…or rather, yell.

"Nii-san?" The smaller blonde asked, her voice soft, her hands pulling Sasuke's one around her waist, effectively bringing him closer. "Do you think we could watch a movie while eating pizza?"

Any tenseness in the older blonde disappeared and the biting against Hinata's hand stopped when he heard her. He blinked a few times, staring into those big blue eyes of his cousins, her lower lip pouting in the cutest way possible. He couldn't help but sigh and remove Hinata's hand. "…Okay, Nee-chan."

The Hyuuga blinked at her boyfriend, surprised at the sudden calmness he had. Looking at Kirei, she smiled. _'Of course, that look always turns him into putty…'_ "Well, you guys might have to heat it up…"

"That's okay." Sasuke said, letting Kirei pull him into the kitchen to get a few slices. He was staying close to her on account of Naruto, who seemed very calm…very…non protective. The raven was pretty sure that wasn't going to last long.

"What movie do you want to watch, Nee-chan?" Naruto asked as he watched them, very careful not to growl or snarl. He knew by just looking into those blue eyes that something wasn't right…something had scared her. Protecting her could be set aside. For now.

Setting the time on the microwave for their three slices, Kirei thought for only a moment. "Howl's Moving Castle." She finally said, smiling as she looked at Sasuke and then her cousin. "Is that okay?" She asked in the sweetest voice she had, making sure she kept her eyes with her cousin's.

Smiling, he nodded quickly. "Of course, Nee-chan!" And with one small scowl toward Sasuke, he turned and headed into their room, where he found said movie and brought it out to the living room. Before Kirei and Sasuke got out of the kitchen, he put the DVD in, turned on the tv and set the whole system up.

"Go ahead," Kirei said softly, turning slightly to see her raven. "I'll be just a minute. Go sit down."

Sasuke lingered for a moment, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Okay." He said, her small smile convincing him. But before he let her go, her stepped just a bit closer to her, leaning and kissing her neck, making sure to make her giggle. It was always nice to hear her giggle.

Kirei sighed a very happy sigh, trying her hardest to stifle her giggle. "Go on." She mumbled, a huge smile set on her lips. It was hard to, seeing as how he found her soft spot and started kissing until she finally laughed and pushed him away. "Go on." She repeated.

He could only chuckle, seeing that slight tint on her face. "I'm going, Princess." He said, finally letting her go and out of the kitchen and to the couch in the living room. Nodding to Hinata, who sat on the one end of the couch, he sat at the other end, sure that Naruto could sit with Hinata and he could sit with Kirei and yet allow Naruto to be close to his blonde.

But as Naruto came to the couch and smiled at Hinata, he sat next to Sasuke, leaning back into the seat happily, holding the remote in his hand, waiting for his Nee-chan. Of course. The raven should've known better.

Holding the rather hot plate of pizza, Kirei sighed inwardly. Was her Nii-san really trying to test her? As calmly as she could, she walked over to the couch and kept her voice calm. "Nii-san?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

The Uzumaki could feel that glare, despite his cousin's rather happy look. He knew that deep down, she wasn't all that happy. "…yes?" He asked, a bit afraid to look up at her.

She had a smile on her face. "Would you mind moving over? I want to sit beside Sasuke." But her smile wasn't because she was happy.

It took Naruto less than a second to move over toward Hinata.

"Thank you, Nii-san." Kirei replied, smiling a true smile as she sat on the couch beside Sasuke. "Careful," She warned him, seeing him reach for one of his slices. "It's hot."

He smiled at her concern, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close before taking a slice anyway. After all, traveling all day, unpacking, traveling up to a roof, admitting some locked away feelings and then catching his beloved? Yeah, Sasuke was hungry.

Sighing, Naruto also pulled his blue haired girlfriend closer too him, knowing that he really didn't spend a lot of time with her today. Keeping Sasuke away from Nee-chan was a lot harder than he expected it to be.

With a smile, Hinata took the remote from her blonde and pressed play, happy that he was finally leaving them alone. They deserved to have a little time to themselves with everything that'd happened in the last year.

The lights off and Howl's Moving Castle beginning, both couples rested themselves, getting ready for the week ahead, full knowing that this would be one of very few times to relax.

* * *

Neji sighed the most relaxed sigh he'd ever sighed in his life. He was currently sitting on his porch, sipping on some hot coffee while reading the newspaper he'd just gotten.

It was early morning and a little brisk out, so he threw on a button up t-shirt, leaving it unbuttoned. He just wanted something covering at least part of his chest.

But other than that and maybe a breeze here and there, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach was a sound for sore ears.

Setting down the newspaper because the news was rather boring, he closed his eyes and reached out to the table, to his coffee and pulled it back, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It was nice to be out here, just him and his fiancée…

"NEJI?!"

Shocked and surprised, the longhaired Hyuuga promptly spit out his drink all over the table.

He knew that voice.

"Hyuuga Neji that IS you!!!"

And he did not want to hear that voice. Not on his vacation.

In a ridiculous blue, floral patterned t-shirt, Naruto jumped over the railing of their porch and onto the Hyuuga's, smile broad. Who knew that Neji was going to be here the week of his vacation?! "You butt," He began, plopping in a seat beside his friend and slapping him on the back. "You didn't tell me you were gonna be living right next to us!!"

Neji felt like smacking his head off the table. Repeatedly.

Suddenly, the glass door slid open. "Neji?" A sleepy Raiha asked as she rubbed her eyes of sleep. She figured he was out here, seeing as how she'd woken up without him.

Thanking God, Neji stood up quickly, walking over to her. "It's okay Raiha," He said, setting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm just out here."

"But who was yelling?" She asked, not able to see the blonde sitting at their table.

Of course, he made his presence known. "Hey there, Raiha-chan!!!" Naruto yelled, waving his hand and smiling.

"Oh." She mumbled, a little more awake than before.

"I should've checked to see who our neighbors were before renting this place…" Neji mumbled to her, turning her around and gently nudging her back inside the condo. "Go ahead back to sleep, love. I'll be in a few minutes…" He hoped.

Still somewhat sleepy, she nodded. "Okay, honey." She shuffled away, ready and willing to go back to bed. 6 in the morning was way too early to get up.

"So Neji," Naruto began, still sitting in the chair, grinning as his friend. "What do you think about coming down to the beach later and playing a friendly game of volleyball?"


	2. Yaoi

**_Fact Vs. Fiction_**

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _I have to admit something to all of you. I am a lazy son of a gun. I really am. I've had chapter 6 typed up and started on chapter 7 before uploading this chapter only because I was too lazy to. But this is one of my favorite chapters (and you'll all see why), so i had to upload it while i'm doing nothing.  
Life has been pretty great for me, especially because Prom for my high school is in two weeks....well, a little less than that, actually. I'm very happy for a few reasons. One, I *coughmymomandIreallycough* made my dress. Yes, we're crazy enough. If you all know Chapter 9 from the Actors, or rather, Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast...well...that's my dress. I'd be happy to share the pictures with anyone who wants to know, so long as they don't mind sending me their email. Second off, a good friend of mine is flying down to be my date :D *He knows who he is and is probably smiling* so i'm pretty damn happy.  
I hope all of you out there who read are happy and loving life. Please, enjoy the chapter! :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 2 – Yaoi_

* * *

"Hinata, are you sure this one's okay?" Kirei asked as she stood in Hinata's room, showing the Hyuuga the brand new black bikini she wore, her face slightly tinted red.

Hinata sighed softly, setting her brush down on the dresser and turned to face her friend, knowing just why the blonde was being so picky. "Kirei," She said, making sure to at least pretend to look her up and down. "It doesn't matter which one you wear, he's gonna love it."

He of course, was Sasuke.

Coming up beside her, Kirei pulled all of her hair to her side, picking up her own brush and brushing her hair nervously. "I know…but…" She started off softly, watching the brush in the mirror. "I've never really worn something so…" She bit her lip, trying to find the right word. "revealing around him and – "

"If you keep brushing like that, you're gonna loose all of your hair." Hinata stated, watching as Kirei hesitantly set the brush down.

Even though she set the brush down, the blonde's hands still ran along her hair, eyes watching in the mirror, her lip still bit.

With another sigh, Hinata smiled and set her hands on her friend's shoulders, turning her so that they were face to face. "Kirei, listen to me," She said sternly, but softly, her clear eyes staring directly into blue eyes. "As long as I've known Sasuke, I have never once seen that boy smile or be happy. At least…until you came along. He started smiling and actually being…human. He really loves you Kirei, no matter what you look like or what you wear." She knew exactly what to say only because Sakura had said it to her years before when she first started dating Naruto.

Even though her words were true, Kirei's eyes shifted downward nervously. "…are you sure?" She asked, her voice not above a whisper. She still kept stroking her hair.

Hinata could only chuckle and kneel to catch the blonde's eyes to bring them back up to hers. "Yes," She said, nodding slightly. "He loves you for you and only you. You could wear a t-shirt and sweatpants and he'd still love you. I know he won't care which bathing suit you wear; he'll love you all the same." She smiled, seeing some assurance come into her blue eyes. "Now turn around so I can braid your hair." She said, turning her around.

Sighing softly, Kirei let her hair slip from her hands and turned around, still looking at the ground as she rolled her lips. "Thank you, Hinata."

Running her hands through her long hair before parting it 3 ways, the Hyuuga smiled. "No problem, Kirei."

It only took a few more minutes of braiding and a few more to apply sun block before the girls left their room, Hinata gently nudging Kirei every so often. She knew Sasuke and Naruto were waiting in the other room and the poor blonde was so nervous, she found it very hard to move her feet far.

Instead of going out in full bathing suit, Hinata had compromised with her and tied a sarong around her waist, allowing Kirei to feel as if she had something on. But she was still very nervous.

"Here, you can carry this too, teme!" Naruto yelled, coming out of the master bedroom with yet another large towel in his hands.

Both blonde and blue haired raised an eyebrow, wondering just what Naruto was talking about. When they walked into the living room, it became very apparent.

Hinata couldn't believe her clear eyes, her mouth dropping just ever so slightly as she and Kirei stopped beside the glass table.

They'd only stopped because they couldn't walk any further. In front of their feet were bags upon bags of plastic sandcastle toys, along with shovels and hole diggers. On the chair closest to them were what looked to be a horrible set of volleyball nets, complete with holes and frayed string. Three huge umbrellas sat on the normally open three cushioned couch, making that unable to sit on. The only other chair in the room had 12 very messy towels on it, along with one, lone, white volleyball.

But as clear eyes looked around the room, blue eyes were glued to one spot.

Sasuke was standing in the middle of the mess, stuck between the coffee table and the fireplace. "Naruto," He began, taking the towel that had just been chucked at his face and adding it to the pile on the chair. "I don't think we need all of this stuff for just one day."

The blonde poked his head out from the bedroom, almost glaring at the raven. "You can never have too much." He said, wagging his finger and then disappearing back into the room.

Sasuke could only close his eyes and shake his head at his nutcase of a friend. No one, not even him, needed anywhere near this much stuff to go to the beach. For one day, no less. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to look around the room and decide what they really needed most and get that together, but his sight was drawn elsewhere.

Hinata was still trying to take in all the things in the room until the real question dawned on her. How had Naruto managed to get all this stuff here?

But when Sasuke looked to Kirei, almost instantaneously her face flushed red and her sight immediately diverted downward, fingers playing with her hair nervously.

"Hey there, Hinata." He said as he made his way over to the two girls, wondering just why Kirei was blushing so much.

It wasn't the fact that she was in a bikini for the first time around Sasuke – although that had something to do with it – or the fact that he was coming toward them, or the fact that he didn't have a shirt on at all.

It was the fact that she liked what she saw that made her blush.

Sure, she'd seen his chest before, thanks to Shippuden, but that only revealed part of his chest. Now, as he walked toward her with no shirt on, she kept her eyes downward, knowing that if she looked up, her face would turn a nice shade of burgundy.

At his words, Hinata snapped from her trance, looking to him and offering a smile. "Hey, Sasuke." She followed his line of sight to the blonde beside her, letting out a small sigh when she saw her. Reaching over, she took the braid from her hands and let it fall down her back as she looked back to Sasuke, smiling. "She's nervous." She mouthed, although she knew the deep blush was for something other than nervousness.

Sasuke sighed softly, shaking his head as a small smile set upon his lips. He should've known. "Princess." He began, reaching out and taking her hands into his since all she seemed to do was fiddle with her fingers.

She still didn't look up at him, her face still burning up.

The raven tugged on her hands, bringing her just a smidge closer to him. "Kirei," He said, keeping his eyes on hers although she wasn't looking up. "There's no reason to be nervous."

Kirei rolled her lips, eyes slowly traveling upward as if in nervousness when really she was just taking in the sight in front of her. "Really?" She asked softly, eyes staring up into his.

"You look beautiful in black." He answered, letting her hands go and pulling her into a kiss as he wrapped his arms around her, making sure to let his fingers graze over the skin he loved to feel.

She couldn't help but smile and giggle into the kiss when he touched her sides, her eyes slipping shut. Oddly enough, she didn't feel as nervous as before.

Hinata pretended not to notice the two, silently walking toward the coffee table and making a note of what they'd need for their beach trip. With Naruto around, they were going to have to get every kiss in that they could.

"Teme – " Naruto's voice cut horribly short as he walked back into the living room, nearly dropping all five bottles of sun block when he saw Sasuke and Kirei. Almost immediately, his blue eyes narrowed into a glare and he growled lowly. How dare he kiss his little sister like that!

Hearing the elder blonde, Sasuke opened his eyes only a sliver, allowing him to see the glare on his face. Smiling at the new thought in his brain, the raven tightened his grip around his love, pretending as if he hadn't noticed him yet. He felt Kirei slip her arms around his neck as he removed his lips from hers, trailing kisses down her jaw and her neck, making sure to spend just a little more time on that soft spot on her neck.

Kirei'd been so enveloped in the kiss that she'd completely forgotten about Hinata, who was stealing glances every so often and her cousin who was now –

As soon as her brain processed that Naruto was standing nearly 2 feet from them, her face turned an even deeper shade of red than before.

"That's enough!" Naruto yelled, stomping over to the two of them and separating them, pushing his little sister behind him gently. That way the bastard had to go through him to get to her and that was not going to happen. "Let's get going! We're wasting valuable volleyball time!" He glared once more at the raven beside them and then pulled Kirei along, walking up to Hinata.

"Okay," She began, cutting her boyfriend off. She knew he was going to tell her to let Sasuke carry everything, but she wasn't about to let that happen. "Naruto, you can carry any of the sandcastle toys you want and the cooler." She smiled at his disappointed look. "Kirei, why don't you get the towels and the lotion?"

The younger blonde nodded to Hinata, but the Hyuuga was definitely sure she wasn't paying attention.

Although she was with Naruto, she was a step behind him, smiling as she looked down the room to a certain raven, who was smiling right back.

Hinata could only shake her head and smile. "Kirei, did you hear me?" She asked, reaching out and shaking the blonde by her shoulders gently.

Blinking, but still smiling, she nodded. "Yeah, towels and lotion." She answered unconsciously, glancing at the far end of the room where Sasuke was still standing.

"Okay then," She sighed happily, letting her go. "I'll take the volleyball net and the volleyball…Sasuke," She turned her head to the Uchiha, staring for only a few seconds at the smile on his face. He never usually smiled like that. "Can you take the two umbrellas and the large beach towel?"

Still smiling and looking at his Princess, he nodded. "Sure, Hina."

She blinked at him, mouth opening slightly. He'd never used her nickname before.

"Okay, okay," Naruto began, turning his head back and forth between the two lovebirds. "Enough lollygagging, let's go!" He gently pushed his cousin along, grabbing his items as well.

As soon as everyone had grabbed their stuff, Naruto led Kirei onto the porch first, making sure that she couldn't get to Sasuke and walked off, Hinata behind them. Sasuke was the last to follow for certain reasons.

Holding one umbrella over his shoulder, a beach towel set upon that umbrella, he slipped some sunglasses on before picking up the other umbrella. Before exiting the condo, he stuck the main umbrella out the door and opened it. He then walked out, making sure he was in the shade of the giant umbrella before shutting the door behind him and walking on to his friends.

Her hand securely with her cousin's, Kirei sighed softly, turning to look back at her boyfriend sadly. She really wanted to walk with him and be with him today, but apparently Naruto had different plans. When she found his eyes on her, she smiled sadly, shrugging her shoulders.

He smiled back, mouthing, "It's okay." He really didn't mind it all that much. She was happy and smiling, even if she wasn't with him. And that was all that mattered.

"Kirei!!!"

At her name, both blondes and Hinata turned their heads to their right, all of them smiling when Raiha ran up to them, a towel set over her arm, a bag hanging from that same arm.

"Raiha!!" Kirei cried back, hugging her very missed friend. They may have seen each other at the red carpet, but they never got to stay and talk.

Watching from behind them, Sasuke felt a presence beside him under the umbrella. "Hyuuga." He said, knowing it was the longhaired Hyuuga Neji.

"Uchiha." Neji nodded, glancing over to the raven and narrowing his eyes slightly in confusion. It was odd to see him wearing sunglasses like those.

"I didn't expect to see you here." Sasuke said, eyes not focused on where he was going but rather his blonde a few feet ahead of him. He smiled when he heard her laugh.

"I didn't expect to see Naruto on my porch at 6 in the morning." Neji answered, his voice slightly irritated. "But there he was. All bright and perky like always. And he invited Raiha and myself to join you guys for volleyball."

Onyx eyes shifted from his blonde to the blonde beside her, where he glared slightly. "Try having him take over your one and only vacation." Loosening his glare, he slid his sight to the Hyuuga beside him, lowering his glasses just a bit to help get his point across. "You're going to play volleyball?" He asked, slightly surprised. He knew as well as anyone that Neji wasn't one for sports at all.

The brunette nodded just once. "I only agreed to play if I could be opposite of Naruto at all times. That way I can wail the ball at him as hard as I can."

This was the only time Sasuke had ever seen the Hyuuga smile that wide.

He chuckled slightly, returning his sight to Kirei when he heard her laugh. He smiled when he realized she was blushing. "Good deal. I'll just be watching."

"No sun for the pasty white?" Neji asked, trying to hold back a chuckle.

Sasuke's sight immediately shifted to him; glare not as hard as it should be. "I burn easily." Was his gritted reply as he shifted his sight again. "Have fun with volleyball."

Neji smirked, clear eyes watching the tall blonde who had butt in on his vacation. "Oh, I will."

The group only walked a few more feet before finally stopping in a spot that wasn't heavily populated and was close enough to their condos and the water's edge that allowed them easy access to both. Before laying the large beach blanket down, Sasuke set down both the blanket and second umbrella and anchored the open umbrella into the sand while successfully staying in the shade.

Kirei took the liberty of unfolding the large beach towel, setting down all of her stuff as others had begun to do, making sure they set shoes and towels on the very edges of the blanket to prevent it from rising.

As soon as that was finished, both Hyuuga's, an Uzumaki and the only Takada helped to set up the volleyball net a few feet away from the blanket, closer to the condos. Once they finished, the net strung up tight, they drew court lines, making sure that the game was as accurate as they could get it to be.

Before walking over to her cousin and friends, Kirei stretched as she stood up, immediately taking notice that her Prince wasn't standing up with her. "You're not going to play?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

Removing his sunglasses, the raven shook his head, already knowing she'd be disappointed. "No, I'm just gonna watch from here."

"Oh," She began, eyes shifting away from him and to her bag, where she grabbed sun block for her face. "Are you sure?" She asked, glancing over at him again.

He nodded, watching her open the bottle and rub the lotion on her face, eyes opening and closing to protect them. "Yeah, I'm sure." Sighing silently, he got up and walked over to her to rub in a bit of sun block she missed on her cheek. "Plus, it'll be more fun to watch you from here."

Almost immediately, Kirei's face turned a very nice shade of red, nearly dropping the bottle of sun block.

Sasuke could only chuckle, loving how easy it was to make her blush. "And," He continued, trying to get her to look at him. "I'm not really a sports person."

Her blush softened just a bit as she glanced at him, knowing that if she looked directly at him she'd just blush more. "I know…but still," She protested, pouting her lip just slightly, looking at him despite her blush. "You should come play."

He set a hand on her head, tousling her hair to make her giggle and squeal; something he'd sorely missed doing. "I'll be perfectly fine, Princess."

Kirei heard her cousin calling her from the court they'd made, but chose to ignore him for just a few moments. "Okay, Prince…" She sighed, offering a smile. "But if you want to play, just tell me."

He smiled back, running a hand through her bangs as he kissed her forehead. "Alright." Turning her around, he walked with her to the edge of the blanket, hands on her waist as he kissed her neck. "Go on, have fun."

She play pouted at him, unable to hold back her smile as he pinched her waist, making her squeal once more. "You too!" With a smile, she ran off to the court, seeing Naruto on one side, Neji, Hinata and Raiha on the other side.

"You're on my team, Nee-chan!!!" Naruto smiled, throwing and arm around his sister's shoulders, glancing back to the Uchiha to glare at him.

Kirei shook her head at her cousin, not worried that it was just the two of them on a team. She knew that more numbers were better, but no two people were more in sync that her and her cousin. "Okay, Nii-san." She replied as he let her go, walking toward the back of their side of the court and taking off her sarong at the same time. Bundling it up, she threw it out of bounds, cracking her knuckles and neck at the same time.

"Who serves first?" Raiha asked, standing on the left side of the court within arms length of the net. She really didn't know the game all that well, but thought that she should at least play it, seeing as how her fiancé and best friend were playing.

Neji nodded to Naruto's side of the court, hoping that Kirei would serve it so perfectly that he could spike the first shot and hit Naruto square in the face. "Them." He answered, ducking his head so Hinata could toss it over the net.

Naruto jumped up and caught the ball, chucking it to his cousin who stood behind him, ready and waiting for it. "Go get em, Nee-chan!!!" He knew better than anyone here that even though Kirei wasn't a sports person, she was pretty good when she concentrated.

That look in her sparkling blue eyes told him that she was more than determined to win this game.

With a smirk on her face, the blonde took a few steps back and examined the opposing court, holding the white volleyball with her left hand, trying to find the best spot to aim at…

Neji was opposite of Naruto, Raiha beside Neji and Hinata covering the back of the court, making the back left side a vulnerable spot.

Her smirk grew as she formed a fist with her right hand, holding the ball out in front of her and served it as best she could, blue eyes watching the ball fly.

Raiha saw the ball coming and readied herself to hit it, lacing her fingers together and crossing her thumbs, moving back a couple steps as she hit it with all the force she had, making the ball spiral out of control and fly toward the blanket.

Naruto watched it, hoping with all his heart that it'd hit Sasuke, but knew it wouldn't. "We won't count that one."

Even though everyone else watched the ball, Kirei looked at Raiha's hands, knowing what the problem was. Flipping her bangs out of her face, she walked up to the net, calling Raiha over. "Let me see how you hit the ball." She said, watching her hands closely.

"Sure." The brunette shrugged her shoulders, complying with her friend. Just like before, she laced her fingers together, keeping her arms straight and crossing her thumbs over her hands. "Just like this." She said, glancing up at the blondes' eyes.

Smiling, Kirei looked up at Raiha, shaking her head. "That's why the ball flew so wildly." She explained, taking apart the girl's hands. She put her hands back together, but had her keep her fingers unlaced, left hand curled inside the right, thumbs on top of both hands but beside each other. "See, if you cross your thumbs and hit the ball, it could break them and maybe some of your fingers if they're crossed."

"Oh." Raiha said, making sure to memorize the position so she wouldn't break her fingers. It wouldn't be a very enjoyable vacation if she broke all of her fingers. "Thanks, Kirei." She smiled, nodding.

"No problem." The blonde answered, smiling as well.

"Are you two done?" Naruto asked, holding the ball under his arm, looking at the two girls rather irritably. He knew safety was important, but he wanted to play.

Shaking her head, Kirei went back to her spot, catching the ball when he threw it at her. "Let's get this game started!"

* * *

Sasuke had automatically assumed that when he heard the word, "Volleyball" this morning, he'd be very bored just watching.

But that was not the case.

He was really focused on the game, onyx eyes watching the ball and his girlfriend. For all the times that he'd watched her paint or sketch, or just watch her in general, he had never seen her like this.

Her eyes watched every which way the ball went, focus and determination laced within the blue depths, arms and hands always at the ready to send the ball back over the net. Her hair had begun to fall out of her braid, but it made her look better, he thought. It was messy and disheveled, hanging at her side or down her back, following her jumps and falls.

All of this, he could understand. The Namikaze's were always a very focused family and when they put their mind to it, they could do anything and do it well. The long hair following her was no question either. He knew that long hair tended to follow motion.

But the only thing that had always eluded the Uchiha's mind was something that had eluded his mind ever since he'd been with Sakura.

How was it that no matter what girls did, when they sweat, it looked more like they were glittering than actually sweating?!

It took just a few minutes of playing the game, but he was sure she was glittering rather than sweating. Even when he blinked his eyes just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, it was still the same. Her slightly tan skin helped, but she really looked as if she was glistening in the sunlight.

It really didn't matter to him if he never figured out why, so long as he got to see her sparkle, he was happy.

Stepping back to square with the ball coming toward her, Kirei crouched just enough to hit the ball right back over the net, but cursed just after she hit the ball, realizing that it hit the net.

Naruto dived to try to hit it to keep it in play, but was unable to do so, cursing loudly. "Damnit!"

Neji, Raiha and Hinata high fived, smiling because they knew that missing that one hit had caused the game to be tied, 24 to 24 – meaning the next point was game point. Whoever got it won the game.

"It's alright, Nii-san," Kirei panted, flipping her braid behind her. "We'll get them next serve."

Shaking sweat from his face, he nodded to her, picking up the ball and throwing it to Hinata. With the same determination as his cousin, he stood by the net, watching as his Hyuuga wiped sweat from her brow and served the ball right over the net.

"I got it!" Kirei called, watching the ball and squaring up for it, hitting it with enough control to get it over the net.

Neji saw the ball, preparing for it as he stepped back. "Raiha, set it!" He yelled, popping the ball up into the air.

The brunette put both hands in the air, pushing the ball back and setting it for Neji, who was fully prepared to spike it directly in the blonde's face.

Watching the ball as closely as he was, Naruto didn't even realize that as Neji spiked it, that he should move to avoid it. It took less than a second for the ball to hit him directly on the nose, knocking him flat on his butt. "Owwww!!!" He cried, holding his face in his hands.

Everyone tried their best to hold back their laughter, although one person let their laughter go.

Holding his stomach out of pain, Sasuke laughed so hard, he thought he was going to cry. He'd have to thank Neji sometime when the blonde wasn't around.

All eyes but Naruto's went to Sasuke, surprised that the Uchiha was actually laughing. He had never once laughed before, at least, from what they knew. Kirei wasn't so surprised as Neji, Hinata and Raiha were, but it made her smile. Even though he wasn't playing, it was good to know he was still having a good time.

"Shut up, teme!! It's not that funny!!" Naruto yelled as he got up, taking the ball with him. But instead of throwing it back to Hinata, he flung it right at the raven, making sure it'd hit him in the head. Knowing that it'd hit its mark, Naruto crossed his arms and turned around, pushing his nose straight into the sky. "See how he likes it."

Kirei watched with a smile and yet a sinking feeling, seeing Sasuke catch the ball and whip it right back toward Naruto. "Nii-san – "

But it was too late.

The ball collided with the back of Naruto's head, sending him face first into the sand below him, the ball falling out of the sky and hitting him square in the back.

If they thought Sasuke was laughing his hardest before, they were very, very wrong.

Rolling her lips to hold back her laughter, Kirei walked over to her cousin, crouching down and setting her hand on his shoulder, craning her neck to look down at him. "Are you okay, Nii-san?" She asked, eyes looking up to the blanket, seeing Sasuke on his side because he was laughing so hard.

Naruto only mumbled, cursing to himself as he picked himself up, immediately turning his head to glare at the raven laughing at him. He'd get what's coming to him eventually. "Yeah," He said, spitting sand from his mouth. "Let's just win this game." The very familiar Uzumaki grin took his lips, blue eyes meeting his sisters.

Smiling back, she took the ball and stood up, throwing it over the net to Hinata and returning to her spot at the back of the court.

"Game point!" Hinata yelled as she popped the ball up into the air, slamming it across the net.

"Mine!" Kirei called, biting her lip as she put her hands together, slamming the ball right back over the net with her forearms.

Backing up to square with the ball, Raiha put her hands the way Kirei had shown her hours ago and hit the ball as hard as she could.

"Kirei…" Naruto called, knowing that he couldn't jump up and hit it even if he tried and there wasn't enough time for him to run to get underneath it.

She saw it out of the corner of her eye, flipping her hair out of her face as she ran underneath it, although her back was facing the net. Everyone watched as she took one more step toward the net and crouched, hitting the ball right back over the net even though she'd hit it backwards. Immediately after it left her arms, she turned around to follow its path.

Hinata didn't even have to move a step to pop it straight up into the air, setting it for her cousin right afterward. "Wail on it Neji!"

She didn't have to tell him twice as he jumped up, spiking the ball with all the power he could without using chakra.

"I don't think so!!" Naruto screamed, crouching down and knocking the ball back up, back over the net. With hope, they'd be too far away to hit it.

But hope was not with the blonde's today, as the longhaired Hyuuga jumped up and spiked it once more, sending it back to the sandy beach with a large thump.

Turning around to see the ball on the beach, Kirei sighed, letting her body drop to the sand to rest. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest as she panted, able to feel her blood pulse through the veins in her arms and hands.

"Yes!!" Hinata cried, her smile wide on her face. "Nice job you guys!" She high fived her cousin and Raiha when they came up to her, all three very happy.

"What do you guys say to some drinks and maybe lunch?" Raiha asked as she panted, setting her hands on her knees to help her get her breath back. "We've got some stuff back at the condo."

As she looked back and forth between Raiha and her cousin, and then to Naruto, Kirei and then Sasuke, a sly smile formed over Hinata's lips. "Sure…why not? Naruto and I will go with you two and help out." Turning to her beloved little blonde beyond the net, she waved him over. "Naruto, come over here, please!"

He arched an eyebrow at her, knowing that sneaky tone in her voice, but complied anyway. He got up from his seated position and ducked under the net, walking over and standing beside his girlfriend. "Yeah?" He asked, still panting.

She smiled, moving closer to him and wrapping an arm around his waist, other hand on his chest. "Naruto…" She began, looking up at him with big clear eyes. "Would you be a teddy bear and help us get some stuff from the condo?"

Blue eyes blinked for a few moments, looking down at his Hyuuga. Help her with getting stuff or make sure nothing happens between Sasuke and Nee-chan?

"Naruto…" She continued, her voice taking such a malicious turn that even Neji and Raiha could hear it even though she was smiling. "Come help us."

"Uh…" The blonde began, not sure of what to tell her. He wanted to stay and keep that pervert bastard away from his cousin…but Hinata might kill him if he said no… "Sure…"

The blue haired Hyuuga smiled at her boyfriend, taking her hand away from his waist and using it to ruffle up his hair. "Good choice." She turned to Neji and Raiha, who were looking at her with jaws dropped. "Let's go get lunch."

Both blinked a few times before closing their jaws and shaking their heads slightly. Who knew Hinata had such control over Naruto?

As they began walking back toward the condo, Hinata turned her head, looking at the blonde who sat on the court, watching them curiously. "We're going to the condo's to get something to eat and bring it down!!" Winking, she let Kirei see that little hinting smile before turning her head back to her boyfriend, kissing him on the cheek.

"What was that about?" He asked, not minding the kiss at all, but something seemed off. Hinata had to have something planned.

She smiled, setting her head on his shoulder. "Nothing, hun."

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Naruto wasn't sure on whether to believe his Hyuuga.

Still catching her breath, Kirei watched her cousin and friends leave, shaking her head at Hinata. She and Sasuke would really have to thank her sometime.

Closing her eyes, she sighed softly, setting her hands on her knees as she got up, heading back to the blanket to collapse on it. Once she got her breath back, she'd tell Sasuke what they were doing; if he even cared.

She pretty much figured that as long as Naruto was gone, it wouldn't matter what they were doing, Sasuke was happy.

Arriving at the blanket, she shook her head slightly, seeing Sasuke still sitting in the shade of the umbrella. He really wasn't coming out into the sunlight, was he?

She offered him a smile before plopping down onto the blanket where the sun was still shining, making the blanket nice and warm as she fell back on her back, basking in the sunlight.

She wasn't sure if that rumor about sunlight making people happy was true, but it sure seemed like it. Being so tiny, Kirei was almost always cold, so being on a nice warm blanket with the sun beating down on her made her very warm. Not to mention it might make her light tan a bit darker.

Watching her from the shade of the umbrella, Sasuke didn't know why the others had left, but at this point, he really didn't care. So long as Naruto wasn't here to keep him away from his Princess, he was happy. She was just lying there, glowing in the sun like she always did, almost begging him to inch closer and touch that smooth skin…

Sasuke couldn't help himself.

He crawled over to her, smiling at her smile, knowing from that cute little content sigh that she was happy. He sat beside her, onyx eyes looking over her from head to toe, fingers aching to reach out and simply graze her stomach.

Eyes closed, Kirei knew he was beside her but she really didn't think anything of it. If anything, he might poke her sides to make her laugh or run a hand through her hair. Even though, when he touched her stomach, drawing shapes on her skin, she couldn't help giggling and laughing.

The Uchiha loved feeling her stomach tense beneath his fingers, let alone hearing her laugh. His smile turned into a smirk as his fingers traveled to her sides, as he leaned down, coming very close to her stomach. "You know," He began softly, pinching her sides to make her smile and laugh more. "You have a beautiful tummy." Without warning, he leaned down even more, kissing his Princess's stomach.

Immediately, Kirei's face turned slightly pink as she pulled her elbows back, pulling herself up slightly. "Sasuke!" She cried, watching as his eyes glanced into hers, sending a shiver down her spine.

His hands continued to hold her steady as he turned his head away from her, looking at those beautiful legs close to him. "And beautiful legs too." He said, still smirking as his left hand slid to the flat of her tummy and all he way down her side to the back of her left thigh, holding it in place as he leaned closer, kissing not the center of her thigh, but just a little inward.

"Sasuke!!" Kirei cried even louder, face turning a deep shade of red as she sat up even more, he continuing to kiss up her leg. Despite the embarrassment, she had to admit to herself that she liked being kissed like this.

As he came up to her knee, he glanced over at her, smirking against her skin when he saw her deep red face, loving how that shocked look on her face. Although, if he looked close enough into those deep blue eyes he loved, he could see that she liked it. "You seem to be in a blushy mood today." He mumbled, kissing the top of her knee.

"And you seem to be in a touchy mood today!!" She retorted, a small smile on her face as it turned burgundy when she felt his tongue against her knee when he kissed it again.

"Well, I can't help the fact that you're beautiful." He said, drawing his head and hand away, placing his hand close to her left side to hold himself up and bringing themselves dangerously close to each other.

A blush already across her face, blue eyes detached themselves from hazy black eyes, moving down only slightly to his lips before coming back up. Parting her lips only a little, she could feel her heartbeat quickening when her eyes met his.

Before she could say anything, he closed his eyes, getting up from his seating position as he kissed her, taking his right hand away from her skin and set it beside her, bringing him even closer.

Kirei's eyes fluttered shut almost instantly, arms shaking slightly from holding her up as she kissed back, feeling her heart rate go through the roof. After only a minute or two, she pulled back slightly, keeping her eyes closed. "…you know…"

Sasuke followed her movements, leaning closer as she leaned back and kissing her again, not caring if she wanted to speak. Naruto would be back soon and then she could tell him. Kiss now, talk later.

She smiled against his lips, almost giggling at how much he wanted to kiss her, which of course, she never minded, but she really did want to tell him something. So, smiling and giggling softly, she pulled back again, feeling the strain of leaning back in her arms. "…you really should…."

Once again, Sasuke followed her, getting up from his seated position to the point where he was on his knees, replacing his lips on hers.

The blonde smiled once more, her arms shaking from holding herself up at such a weird angle for that long. But when she pulled away again to speak, her arms gave out, sending her back to the blanket. "…come play volleyball with us…"

Like he had done every other time before, he followed her to the blanket, swinging a leg over her waist, straddling his lovely little blonde before kissing her again. Her words had registered in his mind as he felt her arms wrap around his neck, but waited just a few minutes before responding. "…I'm perfectly fine," He began, pulling away from her only slightly. "sitting here and watching you…"

Kirei smiled, feeling a slight blush come upon her cheeks, opening her eyes only slightly to find him looking at her. She play pouted at him. "You really should."

He sighed softly, eyes diverted away from her, a slightly embarrassed, very light blush appearing on his face. "Plus…I really don't know how to play…"

Before he could kiss her again, Kirei opened her eyes wider, pulling her hands away from his neck and placing them on his chest, pushing him back gently until they were both sitting up. "You don't know how to play?" She asked, tilting her head at him.

"No." He answered, knitting his eyebrows slightly. "I thought you knew that." He said, tilting his head at her.

The blonde's confused look very quickly turned into big blue eyes and a smirk set upon her lips. "Five minutes." She said, putting her hands into her lap, smile growing wide. "I'll show you how to play and if you don't want to you don't have to."

Sasuke opened his mouth to refuse, to tell her that he really didn't want to be out in the sun longer than he should but, those blue eyes made him stop.

"Please?" She asked, her smile lessening just a bit, blue eyes looking straight into his.

Closing his eyes, he sighed. "Okay, Princess, but – "

Almost immediately she jumped up, grabbing his hands and doing her best to pull him up on his feet. "Yay!!!" She cried, sporting the smile Sasuke was used to seeing. "I promise," She began, holding his hands and pulling him along as she walked backward toward the court. "Just five minutes."

Seeing just how excited his Princess was, the raven could only smile back and let her lead him along. He wouldn't want to ruin such a good mood, especially when Naruto wasn't around. This is what vacation was about, wasn't it?

Being together and having fun…something neither one had had in a long time.

"Okay," Kirei began as she turned back around, leaving her Prince on the left side of the court as she ran to get the ball. "There're three different types of hits in volleyball." She explained, grabbing the ball and coming back. "A bump, a set and a spike."

He nodded, recognizing those names, watching her as she cracked her neck, standing across from him.

"The first I'm going to show you is a bump. It's very easy." She said, letting the ball drop to her feet as she cracked her fingers. Just like she had shown Raiha hours before, she placed her hands inside the other, placing her thumbs at the top of her hands, next to each other. "Place your hands like this, because any other way, like crossing your thumbs can break them."

He mimicked her movements, placing one hand inside the other, not lacing his fingers or crossing his thumbs.

She smiled at him in approval when he looked up at her. "Yeah, just like that. Usually you can hit with your hands like that, but a lot of people hit with your forearm." She broke her hands apart, motioning to her own forearm.

He nodded. "Yeah, I saw you hitting it like that." He told her. "I also remember seeing your arms turn red."

She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Yeah…it's a consequence. It happens." She sighed softly, flipping her braid behind her as she picked up the ball, holding it in her hands with a smile. "Now, if you just keep your hands like that, we'll bump it back and forth, okay?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to say something perverted, watching as she moved back a few steps, knowing she'd probably get that cute little pout on her face and blush.

But before he could even open his mouth, she threw the ball into the air, quickly putting her hands together and bumping the ball toward him.

For the next few minutes, they bumped the ball back and forth and when Kirei deemed he had that down, she moved to setting the ball.

"Setting is even easier," She told him, holding the ball between her hip and hand.

He nodded, cutting her off. "Yeah…I saw you and Raiha setting before."

Smiling, she nodded, taking the ball from her hip. "Alright then," She said with a playful smile. "Let's see how good you are."

Again, Sasuke tried to hold back his perverted comments, choking slightly as he closed his eyes and sighed, shaking all his naughty thoughts from his mind. He knew Kirei hadn't realized she was just begging him to say something perverted and tried to keep himself in check as he held his hands up, setting the ball back to his Princess.

She smiled when it came back to her, happy that he was smiling, that he was having some sort of fun. As she set it back to him, she flipped her bangs out of her face, taking a step back and smirked when he ruffled his eyebrows.

She was out of position, but he set it back to her anyway, knowing she probably had something planned. That smirk told him she had a plan, that she was waiting for him to set it back.

She watched the ball with focused blue eyes, waiting until it was at its highest point, right above the net before jumping up and slamming the ball with one hand, wailing it to the sand beyond the net.

Sasuke watched both her jump and the ball flying into the sand, creating a small crater when it hit the sand. "Jeez." He said, mouth slightly open. Sure, he'd seen worse – being a Ninja and all – but he never knew his Princess was good at sports at all. She usually never participated. "If you can hit it like that…why aren't you up front?"

Kirei smiled, looking into those black eyes she loved. "Well, it's all about height. As you can see, a spike usually goes into the middle of the court."

He nodded.

"And because of that, the tallest people are set within arms' length of the net," She explained, stepping up to the net and putting her arm out to measure the distance. "so that when the spike comes, they can just reach up and block it. But I'm not tall enough to block, that's why Nii-san's in front." She answered, smiling over at her love.

"I see," The Uchiha said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "cause we wouldn't want our Princess to get hurt, now would we?"

"No," She answered, blue eyes looking up into black eyes. "Of course not." She smiled, setting her hands on his chest gently, breaking her eyes away for a moment, looking at his chest and biting her lip gently.

Sasuke saw that look, a small smile slipping onto his lips. So, she liked his chest, huh? "You're adorable, Princess." He said, shaking his head slightly as he kissed her forehead.

Her face slightly pink, she looked up, releasing her lip and smiling at him. "We should really get back to volleyball…Nii-san will be back soon."

He knew she really didn't want to say those words, but she was right. They should get as much quality time together as they could without the giant pain in the ass around. "Alright," He said, kneading his knuckles into her back gently. "I'll go get the ball."

She pouted at the thought of him leaving, but smiled and squealed when he poked her sides. She watched him go, gasping silently when she saw his back.

The Uchiha must've forgotten to put sun block on, or not have been able to reach the innermost part of his back because it was deep, deep red.

Sasuke had been sunburned and Kirei couldn't help but roll her lips and smile. "Sasuke," She began, smiling at him as he walked back, holding the white volleyball in his hands, but she waited to tell him until he was right across from her. "Did you remember to put sun block on your back?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows at her, confused. "Of course I did." He answered, slightly surprised. With skin as light as his, it was implied to put on sun block. "Why?"

She rolled her lips once more, stepping beside him. "Than tell me…does this hurt?" She asked, very gently setting her fingers on his burn, trying not to press too hard.

"Fu – " Sasuke cut himself off, dropping the ball as his face scrunched up in pain. He took a deep breath, cursing inwardly. Yeah sure, volleyball was fun, but he never should've agreed to it.

Feeling like it was partly her fault, Kirei removed her hand from his back, stepping in front of him and holding both of his hands in hers. "I'm really sorry, Sasuke."

Despite the pain, he smiled just vaguely. "It's not your fault."

"It kinda is," She nodded just slightly. "but I think I can help. I've got some sunburn stuff back at the condo that might help to keep it from hurting." She offered, looking into his eyes although his eyes were closed.

Sasuke didn't need any time to think. More time with his Princess – and without Naruto – plus, he was getting his burn treated, probably by massage? Yes, the answer was quite obvious as Sasuke began walking toward the condo, Kirei right beside him, laughing.

* * *

"Yeah, I'll get the cooler." Naruto said, tapping his foot impatiently as he stood by the glass doors, arms crossed. For the hundredth time, he glanced out those doors, toward the beach, somehow hopping to see his Nee-chan even though he knew he couldn't.

That bastard better keep his hands off her.

But little did Naruto know, that just as he walked over and picked up the cooler, carrying it toward the door and heading out to the porch, Sasuke and Kirei had just walked into their condo and shut the door.

He'd missed them by mere seconds, and continued to walk on, heading back down toward the blanket.

Hinata and Raiha had just arrived moments before the blonde arrived, Raiha plopping down in the cool shade of the umbrella. Hinata on the other hand, was still standing, looking at the umbrella pole, noticing a small white note taped to it.

"Sasuke got burned. Went back to condo, don't know if we'll be back down. Love, Kirei and Sasuke." She read, her back facing the condos. Almost immediately, she heard a very loud thunk from behind her.

Turning, Hinata found one lone blue cooler sitting in the sand.

* * *

"You have tiny feet." Sasuke said as he looked beside him, where Kirei's feet were.

She smiled, shaking her head slightly. "I'm a tiny person." She answered, cracking her fingers before grabbing the lotion that sat beside her.

Currently, Kirei sat upon the edge of the couch, Sasuke seated on the floor in front of her, sitting in between her legs. She honestly didn't mind, but still felt a little odd having him sit there.

"Now," She began, setting her hands on his shoulders and leaning forward to bring her eyes to his, her braid falling over her shoulders and almost into his lap. "It's gonna be cold, okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay." He nodded, smiling as he diverted his sight from her feet to her eyes and back down. "But you still have tiny feet."

She smiled, shaking her head as she sat back up, flipping her braid behind her. She grabbed the bottle of lotion beside her and opened it, pouring a dollop about the size of a quarter in her hand, closing the bottle and setting it beside her. Getting comfortable in her seat, she rubbed her hands together and placed them onto her Prince's back, feeling a shiver go down his spine.

Even though her hands and the lotion felt great – which he already knew they would – his eyes were still focused on her feet. He just couldn't believe how tiny they were compared to his own. He'd seen them many times before, but still…

His smile slipped into a smirk as he reached to both sides of him, gently grabbing her feet and picking them up, yanking them into his lap, successfully bringing her much closer.

"Sasuke!!" Kirei cried, her cheeks turning light pink, her hands set on his back.

The raven smiled even more, holding her very soft feet in his hands, caressing the bottoms with his thumb, wondering how they hell she kept her skin smooth and if she was ticklish. When she never flinched or giggled, he knew she wasn't.

The blonde stared at the back of her Prince's head, half smiling, half pouting. She never minded when he held her – even if it was her feet he was holding – but she felt a little bit awkward sitting like that.

With a very soft, deep sigh, she continued her massaging, feeling her raven sigh deeply, his muscles relaxing beneath her fingers. Smiling softly, if she looked close enough, she could already see some of the redness starting to go away.

For one of the first times, Sasuke was starting to enjoy his vacation.

* * *

Minutes passed in total silence, both enjoying the time away from everyone, reveling in the comfortable silence.

Sitting on the floor, Sasuke's eyes were closed, his head slightly low, hands not caressing, but simply holding his Princess's feet. He was sure that if he hadn't run a thought through his mind every once in a while, he would've fallen asleep.

"Teme, you bastard!!"

Both raven and blonde looked to the now flung open glass door and the murderous blonde who stood in the doorway, blue eyes glaring the hardest glare he had at the Uchiha, nostrils flared in anger.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke sighed softly, feeling his blonde behind him stiffen and stop her massaging. "Shit."

* * *

"Next time, I'm tying him to the porch." Hinata said, hearing Naruto's cry of "bastard" as she and Raiha walked up to the two condos, knowing that was where Naruto was headed.

Walking beside her, the brunette tilted her head. "You mean this isn't the first time he's done this?"

The Hyuuga scoffed slightly. "Of course not. Why do you think he and I are here on this vacation?" She asked, turning her clear sight to her friend and soon to be relative. "He invited us when he found out Sasuke planned all of this."

"Oh." Raiha answered, turning her head to see the porches within view. "Sounds like what Neji did with you when you and Naruto went out."

"Only on a grander scale." Hinata added, chuckling.

Raiha nodded, letting out a small laugh. "Isn't everything on a grander scale for him?" She asked as they both began up the steps of the right side porch.

"But that's why I love him." She laughed, walking across the porch to the glass doors that led inside the condo. "And I swear, he's gonna learn to let her go or help me God, I will – "

Standing in the doorway, both blue haired and brunette stopped dead, mouths opening slightly when they saw who was seated on the couch.

Just like before, Sasuke was seated on the floor, although, he wasn't near as happy as before. A blonde was still seated behind him, rubbing lotion onto his shoulders, but it definitely was not _**his**_ blonde.

His blonde was seated next to the blonde pain in the ass, who had almost physically forced the two apart. Just like Sasuke, she didn't look all that happy.

Hinata and Raiha covered their now smiling lips, trying to stifle their laughter as they shot a glance to each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hinata asked, her smile turning very sly, eyes glinting hints.

Raiha could only smile back with the same, although more perverted smile. "How could I not think yaoi?"

Both boys' bodies immediately stiffened at the word "yaoi" and their heads whipped to face the girls, glares set upon them.

"I have a girlfriend." Sasuke growled, motioning to the now giggling blonde on the couch about a foot away from him.

"I do to – " Naruto cut himself off, jaw dropping when he realized exactly who he was talking to. "Hinata!" He cried. "You're my girlfriend!!"

She giggled, taking a deep breath before replying. "Your hands beg to differ."

It didn't take long for Naruto's hands to remove themselves from Sasuke's shoulders. "Hina!!" He cried once more, face completely serious as he tried to get up, to make his way over to her.

Sighing a very fake sigh, the Hyuuga closed her eyes and turned to the brunette beside her. "I guess the opposite sex was just too much for him to resist." She turned completely before walking out of the condo, knowing her lovely blonde would follow. She counted on him following her out.

Naruto's jaw dropped even more as he jumped over Sasuke, following in his girlfriend's and Raiha's footsteps. "I'm not gay!!!" He yelled, not even realizing that Raiha held up, letting him follow his girlfriend, who continued to walk away.

"Have fun, you two." Raiha said as he poked her head into the condo. With a smile, she shut the door and walked off the porch, smiling.

It was amazing how much control Hinata had over Naruto. It was even more amazing that Naruto never seemed to realize she was controlling him.

Sasuke and Kirei looked at each other only once before smiling, knowing that they'd have about 10 more minutes of comfortable silence.

At least until Naruto came back.


	3. Twister

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more. Twister belongs to the people that made it. xD

_Notes: _First thing, I HIGHLY suggest that you have a picture of a Twister matt up on your screen to help you visualize. I had to have it up to write it, so it might help. Second, Life has been good. I had a good time at Prom, and everything after that went well. It's just been very busy around here, since I'm graduating this year(FINALLY). I should've uploaded this chapter last weekend, but you guys know me. I'm lazy. Anyway, I'm keeping this nice and short. Enjoy, my friends!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 3 – Twister_

* * *

Kirei awoke with a start, blue eyes slightly wide as they blinked rapidly, allowing her to adjust to seeing in the darkness around her. She panted very softly, hearing something that was very familiar to her ears only a few feet from her bed.

Rubbing her eyes gently, she turned away from the pitter-pattering sound to her right, full knowing that it was raining outside. She looked at the clock on the nightstand beside her, wondering just what time is was. She sighed when the numbers blinked back at her.

It was nearly two in the morning.

But as the rain increased its beating against the glass door, the blonde's heartbeat quickened, eyes darting immediately for the door, or rather, the one who slept beyond the door.

She knew better than to try to sleep with her cousin – who might actually knock her off the bed, with the way he slept – so, she very quietly got out of bed and walked over to the door, opening it and closing it softly.

The rain wasn't as loud out here, but the crashing of the thunder was much louder.

Kirei covered her mouth as she shied away from the larger glass doors to her right, knowing that if she screamed, she'd wake everyone else at this ungodly hour. Trying to calm herself, she took a few deep breaths before continuing past the kitchen and down the very short hallway, to the living room, where the one who would keep her safe was sleeping.

A small smile broke onto her lips when she saw her raven, sleeping peacefully on the daybed, no sign that he knew it was raining from the look on his face. He actually looked like he was in a deep sleep, something very rare to see with the Uchiha.

Walking up to him silently, Kirei looked over him, not wanting to wake him, but yet wanting to sleep there with him. She would feel horrible if she'd woken him up just to go right back to sleep, remembering that sleep never came easy to him before her.

And yet, she really did want to sleep there. The rain beating on the roof, the glass doors and the thunder crashing in the sky made her cringe in fear, but also in remembrance.

Thunder sounded oddly close to falling walls and beatings from a Biju.

Only half asleep, Sasuke shifted slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable in his previous position. It wasn't that the daybed wasn't comfy, but rather, he felt like he was being watched, or that there was someone close to him.

Waking up further, he could distinguish something pattering against the roof and loud crashes every now and then. He sighed softly, slipping a hand underneath his pillow. It must be raining outside.

Wait. It was raining? If it was –

It didn't take the raven long to realize he _**was**_ being watched.

Sitting up and opening tired onyx eyes, he looked around the room, finding that his Princess was looking right back at him, blue eyes full of worry and fear. "It's okay." He said softly, offering a small smile.

She rolled her lips, cringing once more when a clap of thunder crashed close to the house.

That was odd. Never before had Kirei cringed from the sound of thunder, usually just scared of the rain.

He ruffled his eyebrows slightly, but let it go. It was too early to ask questions and he wanted to get back to sleep. "Come on, Princess." He said, lifting up the blanket and allowing her to crawl into the daybed with him.

As always, she snuggled close to him, lying her head on his pillow and sighing a very relieved sigh. Even though she wasn't on him, she could still hear his heartbeat, something she'd sorely missed, something that made her feel safe.

Sasuke smiled at her, lowering the blanket down over her shoulders like she liked and laid down, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her while they slept. He smiled even more when she snuggled closer.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd actually get some sleep this morning.

* * *

"So she's sleeping right now?" Hinata asked softly as she leaned against the counter, mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she looked up to the raven sitting at the bar.

Sasuke nodded, glancing down at his coffee cup before picking it up and taking a sip. "Yeah," He answered. "She came out early this morning and just crawled into the daybed."

"Was it the rain?" The Hyuuga asked, knowing about the blonde's fear of rain. "Cause it woke me up too."

The raven didn't give much of a nod and pursed his lips slightly. He knew the rain was a large factor, but he couldn't get the image of her cringing from the thunder out of his mind. "I think it was, but," He set down his mug, glancing up to Hinata. "I also think she's scared of the thunder."

Hinata ruffled her eyebrows, titling her head slightly. "The thunder? Why do you say that?"

Picking up his mug once more, Sasuke swirled the dark liquid, eyes darting to the countertop. It took him a few minutes to answer. "…I think it reminds her of Akatsuki, or at least…when it was falling apart."

The blue haired stayed silent, able to tell that Sasuke really didn't feel like talking about Akatsuki. It didn't bother her at all, seeing as how Naruto never talked about it either. And if Naruto didn't speak of it, Sasuke would never speak about it. "Well," She began, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable silence. "how do you get her to calm down?"

Looking away from her, a small smile took the Uchiha's mouth as he took another sip. "Music." He answered, remembering all the times when Kirei would lie in his arms and listen to her music via his ipod. "She'll listen to my ipod to drown out the sound of the rain."

"Makes sense." Hinata mumbled, smiling when she saw the smile on his face.

* * *

Only a few feet away from them in the first living room, Kirei whined softly, snuggling with the warm covers that smelled like her Prince as she began to wake up slowly. Taking a deep breath, she realized something was missing around her waist and sat up, holding the covers against her chest as she looked around worriedly.

Where was Sasuke?

* * *

In the room next to her, Hinata and Sasuke looked to the hallway, hearing the blondes' shuffles and waited for her to appear.

It wasn't long before the tired blonde scuffled into the kitchen area, holding the blanket around her shoulders with one hand, the other rubbing sleep from her eyes. Almost like she could sense his position, she scuffled over to Sasuke, sitting beside him at the countertop, smiling when she felt his hand on her head.

"Good morning, Princess." He said softly, tousling her hair gently.

Like any time before, she cringed and giggled, her smile very quickly turned into a half frown, half pout. "You weren't there." She mumbled, blue eyes looking up to black.

It took Sasuke a minute to figure out what she meant, but when he did, he pulled the stool she was sitting on closer to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be waking up this soon." He told her, nuzzling the top of her head, smelling her hair. "You were tossing and turning most of the morning."

Kirei nodded, snuggling into her love's chest. "I had a bad dream." She told him, eyes closed.

"I know." He answered, nodding. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, already knowing her answer. The least he could do was ask.

She shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about it; it was that she never remembered her bad dreams. But they always left a bad feeling in her heart, telling her something was going to happen. She never knew when, but it would happen.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Hinata asked softly, pushing off the counter she was leaning on, knowing the blonde needed something to pick her up. And wake her up.

Sleepily, the blonde nodded.

Hinata could only smile before setting her cup down and going over to the cupboard, getting out a large mug and pouring some of the still hot water into it. She went to another cupboard to get the package of Hot chocolate, tearing that open before pouring the contents into the water and spinning it with a spoon. "Here, sweetie," She began, handing the steaming mug to her friend. "be careful, it's still hot." She warned when the blonde took the mug happily.

"Thanks, Hina." She mumbled, keeping her cold hands on the mug in an effort to warm them up.

She smiled back, picking up her own mug. "No problem, it's the least I can do."

"But we've really got to thank you," Sasuke interjected, looking at the Hyuuga. "I mean, without you, we wouldn't've had moments to ourselves at all."

"Yeah," Kirei added, blowing on her mug before taking a sip. "I love Nii-san and all…but I wanna spend time with Sasuke too. And you're the one who's kept Nii-san at bay, for the most part."

Hinata couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry about it you two. Just focus on having a good vacation, okay?"

The blonde and raven looked to each other and smiled, turning back and nodding to Hinata.

"We're really going to have to thank you sometime." Kirei insisted, feeling a little more awake then before.

The blue haired chuckled slightly, smiling to the blonde. "All right." She watched as the blonde's eyes traveled to the raven beside her, her lips rolling and being bit lightly.

Hinata thought it was the best moment to slink away into the confines of her own room to give the couple some much needed, very precious time alone.

* * *

That time did not last near long enough.

Not even 5 minutes passed before the master bedroom door flew open, revealing a very happy Naruto. He had a straw hat on his head, drawstring hooked beneath his chin, sunglasses set upon his eyes, while wearing a hot pink floral shirt with neon orange shorts with white flames at the bottom and flip flops on his feet.

"Who's ready to go to the beach?!" He exclaimed happily, smile immediately turning to a frown. Despite the dark sunglasses, he could plainly see who Kirei was sitting with and he did not like it.

Her mug still in her hands, Kirei's blue eyes shot open at the mere mention of the beach, her body stiffening. Going outside? When it was raining?

Heart racing, the younger blonde tore from her stool, knocking over the one next to her and her own as her mug and it's contents flew from her hand, splattering over the counter and floor, the mug shattering. Feet on the floor, she ran into the spare room, past a confused Hinata and into the closet, closing the door and falling to the floor in the corner.

Sasuke could only close his eyes and sigh in annoyance.

Naruto ruffled his eyebrows, wondering what sparked that reaction. "What did I do?" He asked, not really caring. It got her away from Sasuke, didn't it?

"Dobe," The raven gritted, carefully getting up from his seat and moving the other stools as to clean up the mess. "Why don't you tell me what it's like outside?" He asked as he moved behind the kitchen counter, getting a few rags to help clean up the mess.

Blinking first, Naruto narrowed his eyebrows in confusion, speaking as he turned his head. "The weatherman said it's supposed to be a high of 85 degrees and bright and…" The blonde's words slowed when he looked out the glass doors, seeing how dark it was outside and how the rainwater rolled down the glass doors. "Sunny."

"It's raining, you know." The raven pointed out, picking up the larger shards of the broken mug and discarding them into the nearby garbage can.

His glare refocused on the raven, who was now wiping up the excess hot chocolate. "I see that."

Breaking the conversation, the door to the spare room suddenly opened, revealing a very confused and worried Hinata. "Um…guys…" She began, walking further into the hallway, brining her closer to the guys. "Kirei's shut herself in the closet…and I can't get her out."

Coming back around the counter, Sasuke threw away the used rags and then looked to the Hyuuga. "It's alright, Hinata." He began, peering over her head and into the spare room. "I'll get her out."

She smiled, nodding to the Uchiha. "Good luck, she's pretty shaken up."

"Thanks." He said, not caring about the glare that was set upon him. His Princess needed him.

"Now wait a minu – " Suddenly, the phone in Naruto's short pocket began vibrating, breaking his glare and his train of thoughts. He grabbed the phone from his pocket, opening it and putting it against his ear. "Hello?"

"Our power's out." A very calm, very stoic voice said, obviously knowing that Naruto would know it was him. "Can we come over and crash for a while?"

Naruto's blue eyes went wide, smile becoming large. "NEJI!" He exclaimed happily, plopping in the chair closest to the master bedroom door.

Sasuke used this distraction to slip out of the kitchen, past a smiling Hinata and into the spare room to coax his Princess out of the closet she took shelter in.

"Of course you can crash over here, we still have our power." The blonde said, not aware that Sasuke had left the room. He was too excited to notice.

Less than a second passed before a poof of smoke appeared in the living room, a hand appearing out of the cloud to wave away smoke to reveal Neji and Raiha; Raiha obviously being in her fiancés arms.

Leaning on the bathroom door that was right across from the kitchen, Hinata smiled a very sly smile, her eyes lowering when she saw Neji and Raiha together. "Your power's out?" She asked, wanting to confirm what she overheard.

Neji looked at his cousin, knowing that sly smile. Sometimes, he feared that sly smile. "…Yes…" He answered hesitantly, wondering what she was going to reply.

Seeing that familiar smile on her face, Raiha also knew it was coming. The perverted comment.

"I'd imagined that you and Raiha could find _**something**_ to do in a condo with no power…with no one around…" Her smile grew larger with every word she spoke, noticing that slight blush on Neji's face.

On the chair beside the couple, Naruto was also looking toward Hinata, but he was oblivious to her statement. He was oblivious to the glare Neji gave Hinata as well.

Sitting up slightly to see better, his normally happy blue eyes and grin slipped into a glare and a frown, seeing just who was holding who in the spare room. Letting out a slight growl, he jumped up from his seat, determined to go separate them.

Now that he'd calmed her down, he can get the hell away from her.

The blue haired Hyuuga leaning on the doorway knew where her boyfriend was looking, or rather, who he was glaring at. She sighed softly, shaking her head. When was he going to give this up? "Naruto," She began, moving off the wall to step into his way as Sasuke and Kirei slowly came out from the spare room. "Why don't we play a game since it's raining out?"

Glare still adamantly focused on the raven only a few feet from them, his arms around his Nee-chan as they made their way into the hallway, Naruto grumbled at his girlfriend, setting his hands gently on her shoulders. "Hinata," He said, very gently trying to move her aside.

She would not budge. "Why don't we play…" She looked up in thought, feeling the pressure of Naruto's hands on her shoulders, but staying rooted to her spot. Kirei and Sasuke deserved to be left alone, if only for a few minutes. "Twister?"

The blonde's glare softened, his sight prying away from the raven to the Hyuuga's clear eyes. He loved that game. "Twister?" He repeated, voice growing excited, smile appearing on the blonde's lips.

She nodded. "You did bring it with you, didn't you?" She asked, knowing he'd bolt into their room and try to find the game.

"Of course I did!" He replied, letting her go immediately and running into his room, rummaging around in his bags to try to find the game he loved.

Hinata smiled, nodding to herself slightly in approval. It would be at least a few more minutes until he came back.

"I see what you mean." Raiha began, remembering her friends' comment from the day before. "How do you do it, Hinata?" She squealed slightly when she was suddenly pulled onto the couch with her fiancé, the older Hyuuga wrapping his arms around her waist lovingly.

She sighed softly, walking out of the hallway and into the living room, plopping onto the chair and closing her eyes. "A hell of a lot of coffee."

"Mind if we join you?" Sasuke asked as both he and Kirei walked into the living room, his arms gently around the blonde, her hands with his.

Hinata smiled at the two, waving to the seat across from her own. "No, please, have a seat." She said, smiling even more as they went to the seat, swearing she saw the raven slip Kirei a kiss on the neck.

Watching the blonde, even Neji noticed her quiet demeanor, and opened his mouth to ask if anything was wrong with her, but was promptly ribbed by the brunette next to him.

Her eyes told him to close his mouth and not ask. She knew better than pestering the blonde when it was raining outside. Especially with Sasuke around.

With nothing really connecting the two couples and half couple, the living room fell to silence, Hinata looking to see if Naruto found Twister yet, Raiha trying to stifle her laughter as Neji proceeded to tickle her, Sasuke holding Kirei close, whispering sweet words into her ear to try to help her relax.

"FOUND IT!!" Naruto cried loudly and happily, holding the box in his hands, smile broad on his face.

Enveloped in their loves, both couples on the chair and couch jumped, the two stoics almost immediately looking at the master bedroom door to glare at the blonde who bounced into the room.

Flipping some hair from her eyes, Kirei swore she knew that game in her Nii-san's hands. "Is that Twister?" She asked, sitting up just a little more as he set down the box and pushed the glass coffee table aside, opening up the living room for the game.

He nodded, smile on his face. "Yep."

She and Raiha gasped, smiles appearing on their faces as they shifted from their lover's arms and onto the floor near Naruto, helping him get the mat out and set up the game.

Neji and Sasuke proceed to look at each other with ruffled eyebrows, confused at this game. Sure, they'd heard of Twister…but how did you play? And what was so interesting about it?

It seemed Kirei knew this about Sasuke, or rather, could read it from the look on his face. "Don't worry," She began, grabbing the small square board from the bottom of the box. "We'll play a preliminary round for you guys, okay?" She asked, looking back and forth between Neji and Sasuke, seeing how both were confused.

Raiha turned her head to see her beloved behind her, not even realizing he was confused. "You don't know how to play?" She asked him, shaking her head slightly.

"…Not really…" He answered meekly, a bit ashamed to say he didn't. He was an ANBU class Jounin, with one of the highest ranks of his family. He could complete any mission given to him, work with any team, and filmed for a tv show. He even made time for his girlfriend-turned-fiancée.

But, he did not know how to play Twister.

Raiha could only giggle softly, seeing that look on her love's face. "It's really simple. We'll show you right now."

"Oh, oh, I'll be on the mat first!" Naruto cried, hand raised into the air as he bounded and leaped like a child would.

Kirei and Hinata shook their heads as he jumped onto the large square mat with four rows of dots on it, each row a different color. The row farthest away was green, then yellow, blue and finally red.

With a sigh, Kirei joined her Nii-san on the mat as she handed the spinner board to Hinata. "Remember to take off your shoes, Nii-san." She said, only remembering the detail a moment before.

"Oh yeah!" He smiled, throwing off his sandals without using his hands. He then proceeded to stretch from side to side, getting ready to win the game he had the most fun playing.

"Now boys," Hinata began, getting comfortable in her seat as Raiha sat on the armrest. "In this game, you are your "game piece". On the board here," She showed each stoic the spinner board. "There is a body part, right hand and foot, and left hand and foot. Depending on what the spinner lands on you could have your left hand on green and your right foot on red. Understand?"

They both nodded. The game seemed simple enough. Just put your body part on a dot.

"If your knee or elbow hits the ground, you're out and you must leave the mat, too." Raiha added, knowing this information would come in handy if someone wanted to win.

"Do Kage Bunshin's count?" Naruto asked, his brain formulating a plan. If he could always be in the game, no matter if the original got out, he'd win for sure!

Hinata stifled a laugh, smiling and shaking her head at her blonde bundle of energy. "No," She answered, looking over at him. "They do not."

He sighed, somewhat expecting the answer. "…damn."

Beside him and also stretching, Kirei giggled, shooting her competitive Nii-san a look. "Trying to find a way to win, Nii-san?"

He glanced back, that same grin on his face. "I already know how to win, Nee-chan." He answered, blue eyes catching a smirk on the Uchiha's face. "What do you want, Teme?" He spat, glaring.

Sasuke could only smirk at him, knowing something that the blonde apparently didn't. "Nothing." He answered nonchalantly. It was just that Kirei was more flexible than Naruto and could easily win this game.

Naruto continued to glare as he took his spot on the mat across from his little sister, still glaring whenever he looked at the raven. "Good."

* * *

"Fancy meeting you here." Sasuke said with a large, perverted smile.

Kirei met his eyes, putting on her best pout. And blush. "Shut up." She said, feeling her face turn red.

"You better not be touching her, Teme!!" Naruto cried, hearing his "friends'" remark.

Currently, the group was on their first game of Twister, just after the preliminary game. Hinata was the spinner board master, sitting on the chair and enjoying the view. Oh how she loved to be able to fake calls to make the game more interesting.

Neji was closest to her on the red side of the mat, his left foot on a red dot, right foot waiting on the side. His right hand was on a yellow dot and for the love of God, he did not want it there.

That was because Naruto was to the right of Neji and his right foot was on the red dot beside the Hyuuga's, his left foot on the yellow dot beside the Hyuuga's hand. Which caused Neji to very uncomfortable reach his hand underneath the wide spread blonde. Naruto's right hand was placed on a blue dot that reached right over the Uchiha's thigh.

Sasuke was definitely next to Naruto, his left foot on a yellow dot, making the blonde reach his hand over his thigh. The raven's other foot and left hand were on a blue dot, making his position rather easy. It was who's beneath him that made him smile.

Kirei's both feet were on a red dot, making her legs underneath all three boys. Her right hand was directly beside her on a yellow dot, her left hand having not been called just yet. It was a good thing, because at the moment, her left hand was holding onto her raven and that, was the only thing keeping her up, keeping her in the game. It just brought her very close to her love. Close enough for him to turn pervert and make her blush.

Raiha was the last one on the board, set directly behind Kirei, her left hand on a yellow dot, the other on a green one, her left foot also on a green dot. This made her almost like a table, bringing her below Kirei and almost on her knees.

Hinata couldn't help but want to take a picture. One ANBU Jounin, two Jounin's and two very pretty girls, all sprawled over each other in uncomfortable positions. What could be better?

"Whose turn is it again?" Raiha asked, not able to remember. She was too busy trying to stay up.

"Mine." Kirei mumbled, blush and pout still on her face as she held her Prince's neck, helping to keep her up. He still hadn't taken that pervy grin off his face either.

Hinata smiled a very large grin. "Oh, goody." She said, flicking the spinner. It was a good time to move that left hand back.  
Clear eyes watched the spinner go round and round as a tiny blonde waited nervously for the answer.

Her smile never wavered as the spinner truly landed on right foot blue…but that wouldn't be any fun. "Left hand green." She spoke, trying to keep back her devilish smile.

The blonde sighed a very annoyed sigh. Great. Just what she needed. "…okay…" She mumbled, drawing her eyes away from Sasuke's as she hesitantly took her hand from his neck, slowly moving it behind her and over Raiha's leg while trying to keep her feet on the red dots at the other end of the mat.

Tragedy struck as the blonde slipped, falling right into Raiha, who fell onto the ground with a humph, Sasuke instinctively reaching out to catch his blonde as she fell onto her elbows, Raiha quickly rolling out of the way.

Reaching out to catch his blonde, which he did successfully, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her upper torso, hands somehow catching her head before it hit the floor, ended up pulling Naruto right along with him.

When finally they'd hit the ground, Sasuke looked up, smiling as he saw his blonde looking back at him, her whole being completely underneath his. He smiled a very perverted smile, seeing that blush on her face. "We've got to stop meeting like this, Princess." He said, lowering his lips to her neck.

She giggled, smile wide as her head rolled back, hands finding his shoulders. "Sasuke!" She cried happily, missing his kisses.

"Teme, you bastard!!!" Naruto cried, having already stabled himself. Damn him for wanting to win this game! Now that his little sister and that bastard were out, he couldn't stop them! "Don't touch her!" He growled.

The Uchiha knew that his friends' threats wouldn't be enforced. Naruto was way to determined to beat Neji to give up and stop him from ravaging his blonde. He proceeded to kiss his blonde's neck, sucking on her pulse every once in a while to get a squeal out of her.

"Okay, okay, lovebirds," Raiha began, slightly jealous that she couldn't be the one lying there with Neji. "Time to get up." But she knew they were just stealing a moment, since, in this house, moments seemed to be fleeting.

Snarling slightly, Sasuke did get up, taking his blonde's hands in his and helping to her feet, and even more so as he picked her up bridal style and walked to the couch. Naruto could watch all he wanted and there was nothing he could do about it.

Her fiancé still playing, Raiha decided to sit with Hinata, hoping to make the game even more interesting, since only he and Naruto were left on the mat.

No one was sure as to why Naruto was this way with Neji, but it had been apparent since day one of filming that the blonde was competitive, even though the Hyuuga never really seemed to be interested.

And it still seemed Neji wasn't all that interested.

In truth, he just wanted to be out of this awkward pose, off this mat and snuggling on the couch with his fiancée.

"Alright, lets get this game back on the road!" Naruto cried happily, looking at his love and then glaring as he looked to that bastard on the couch who was holding his little sister.

Neji sighed. Was sitting on the couch with his fiancée too much to ask, or was he being punished for something he knew nothing about?

* * *

As much as Naruto wanted to beat the hell out of Neji, he wanted to end this game as quick and as soon as possible.

Why?

Every time he'd looked over at the couch, he found a raven staring back at him with a smug little smirk, his arms wrapped tightly around the blonde sitting on his lap. To piss him off even more, he'd kiss his little sister's neck, or maybe her cheek, staring at him the whole time with that smirk.

Naruto had to take a deep breath and remind himself that he had a game to win every time he saw them.

"Okay…" Hinata began, trying to draw out the game as long as she could. It'd only been a half an hour since the game began and about 15 minutes since Kirei and Sasuke got out, but she could try to make it a few more minutes longer. "Naruto…left foot blue."

"Finally." He replied with a huff, drawing his glare away as he placed his left foot on the blue dot.

Before Neji had a chance to realize it, he looked ahead of him, immediately closing his eyes in disgust. Why was the world cursing him today? What the hell did he do wrong?

Seeing her cousin's look, Hinata couldn't help but smile, shooting a look to the brunette who was sitting next to her, also smiling. "Nice view, huh, Neji?"

Slowly, the older Hyuuga turned his head toward her, clear eyes glaring, scowl clear on his face.

She wasn't fazed. "I enjoy it."

"Great." He replied monotonously.

Feet on opposite ends of the mat, left on blue, right on red, his right hand down on a red dot and the left on a yellow, Naruto nearly had his head in between his legs. When he realized Neji was in the same position behind him, he leaned down even more, trying to see the Hyuuga from in between his legs. "Hey, Neji!! Look, I can see you!!"

Yes. The blonde's butt was directly in front of Neji's face. "Oh. What luck." He turned his sight back to Hinata. "For the love of God, please, spin the spinner."

Raiha smiled, somewhat enjoying torturing her soon to be husband. "I don't know…" She started, turning her head to Hinata. "Maybe we should go get a camera…"

"I'll get it for you." Sasuke added quickly, liking the idea of blackmail.

"No." Neji snarled. "Just spin the spinner." He was being punished enough to be in this position. He didn't want to relive this moment anytime soon. Or ever again for that matter.

Just as Hinata lifted her finger to spin the spinner and relieve her cousin of this "torture", he screamed in anguish and pushed away from the blonde and the mat, falling on his back and rolling to his side, holding his hands over his face as he yelled.

"Oh my god," He began, blinking tears from his eyes. "Are you serious?!

Everyone but Naruto knit their eyebrows, wondering why, now all of a sudden, the stoic Hyuuga began freaking out.

Trying to stifle his snickering, Naruto once again looked to the Hyuuga through his legs, grin very wide on his face. "You like that, Neji?" He snickered, not moving from his spot. Oh how great it felt to win without having to torture himself.

Neji coughed, still on the floor, still holding his hands over his face. "Good god, what did you eat?!" He cried.

It did not take long for the smell to drift around the room, replacing the looks of confusion with pain.

Kirei and Sasuke were the second ones to smell it, the blonde turning quickly while holding her hand over her mouth and pulled down the blanket from the back of the couch, not even bothering to unfold it as she put it to her mouth and nose, trying to help filter out the smell.

Sasuke also tried to filter out the smell, but not by using the blanket. Pulling his Princess onto his lap, the raven held her close, burrowing his face into her sweet smelling hair and smiling. It had been a while since he'd gotten to hold her, let alone burrow his face into her hair and smell it. And Naruto couldn't stop him.

Raiha was about to look around and find a blanket or a shirt, or something to filter out the worst smell she ever smelled, but was stopped by the blue haired sitting next to her.

"I know it sounds horrible…." She began, her words shortened by lessened breath. "But if you take a deep breath, you'll get so used to the smell, you won't smell it anymore."

Raiha blinked for a moment, thinking. To smell it only once and never again…or to deal with it and smell it again. She took the first choice.

Taking a very hesitant deep breath, both brunette and blue haired took in a deep breath, watching as Naruto smiled at all of them, loving how easily he could torture people. Especially Neji and –

"You bastard." He snarled, glaring directly across the room to the raven who sat on the couch, holding _**his**_ little sister in his lap, holding her tightly as he smelled her hair. "Get the hell away from her!" He yelled, advancing toward the raven, blue eyes oddly murderous.

The longhaired Hyuuga on the floor in front of Naruto seemed to sense the blonde's murderous aura and stood up quickly, standing in the blonde's path, knowing he could stop him if he had to.

Naruto's glare focused on Neji immediately and yet, still flickered to the bastard who was holding his now wide-eyed little sister. "Get out of my way, Neji."

"Naru," Hinata said worriedly as she set aside the spinner, getting up and walking over to her love, hoping to consol him before he started throwing things. "Calm down…It's not like he's hurting her…"

The blanket had since fallen from Kirei's face and had gathered into her lap, her deep blue eyes full of concern as she looked at her cousin. Even with his glare, she never once felt her Prince stiffen or flinch. He never loosened his grip either.

If anything, he gripped tighter.

"I'm allowed to hold her, Dobe." Sasuke said, black eyes emotionless as they looked into borderline red eyes. "She's my girlfriend."

Starting to get mad, Hinata looked over to Sasuke, eyes not glaring, but harder than usual. "You are not helping, Sasuke."

Sighing, Raiha still sat on the armrest, feeling as if she could cut the tension in the room with a knife. "Guys, why don't we all calm down and watch a few movies?" She asked, getting up and standing on Hinata's left. "Naruto, you can sit beside Kirei…" She said, looking to the blonde, then shifting her sight to Sasuke. "Sasuke you can sit on her other side…Hinata," She looked to her friend. "you can sit on the other side of Naruto and Neji and I will take a chair or something."

A few minutes of silence passed, Naruto still glaring, Sasuke still watching him, neither eyes' wavering.

The blonde never let his glare go. "Fine." He agreed, diverting his sight to the ground. "But he's got to let her go."

Sasuke frowned. "I won't –

"It's okay." Kirei assured, picking up the blanket and moving beside him. "Just don't fight." She said softly, her eyes also darting to the floor sadly. "Please." She begged.

Taller blonde and raven's glares were lost as they looked to her and to each other. How could they have been so caught up in this feud over who got to spend time with her that they forgot how she felt?

Looking at each other, they silently decided that right now, they could put their feud aside and make sure she was happy.

Neji looked over the blonde cautiously before stepping aside and allowing him to continue to the couch and sit beside his little sister, as he called her. "What movie should we watch?" He asked, turning and smiling as he found a pair of brown eyes on him.

His brunette walked toward him, giggling as he picked her up and walked over to one of the chairs, falling in it and holding her at the same time. "I say Final Fantasy." She said, smiling as he looked back to Hinata, who had since moved to sit on the couch beside Naruto.

"Eh…" Naruto began, snuggling into the back of the couch as his beloved snuggled close to him, his left arm around her shoulders. "I think we should save that for later."

"I second that." Hinata said, snuggling further, her smile wide. It'd been a long time since she'd been in her lover's arms, since he'd been spending all this time keeping Sasuke away from Kirei.

"Than what movie should we watch?" Sasuke asked, sneaking his hand underneath the blanket on his Princess's lap and finding her hand, lacing their fingers together. If he couldn't hold her in his arms, he was damned sure that he was going to hold her hand in his, like it or not.

"How about Gladiator?" Neji suggested, turning his head back toward the group behind him, hands tickling his fiancée's sides.

Naruto looked down to Hinata, then to Kirei and then to that bastard beside her. "Sounds good to me." With confirming looks from the three around him, he looked back to Neji. "We're all in favor."

With a nod, Neji smiled slightly, looking forward, to the flat screen tv and dvd player.

They had the seating arrangement all figured out, everyone was rather happy and the movie was even picked out.

The only question that remained was, who was going to get up and put the dvd in the dvd player?

* * *

As the movie came to a close, the group slowly began to stretch and wake up enough to at least get changed and get back to bed, seeing as Gladiator and 300 had taken them to sometime in the early morning hours.

"That was pretty good." Naruto said softly, letting out a large yawn.

The tired blue haired in his arms nodded. "A little sad, but good." She agreed, snuggling closer to him.

Neji nodded, pressing the stop button and the power button on the remote, shutting off the dvd player and the tv itself. "Yeah, we usually find time to watch it once in a while." He said, referring to himself and the now half asleep Raiha in his arms.

"I'll have to go out and buy it sometime so we can watch it later." Sasuke mumbled, shaking his head slightly to wake up.

No one would know the smallest blonde's thoughts about the movie, at least for tonight, because she had fallen asleep halfway through the movie. She now leaned toward her Prince, using his shoulder as her pillow, her one hand still holding his, the other resting gently on his chest.

"But now," The raven continued, smiling down at his Princess. "I think it's time for bed."

Neji nodded, gently weaving his hands underneath her back and knees, shifting as he sat on the edge of the chair and heaving her upward as he stood up. "I think so too." His clear eyes flickered to the small opening in the glass door, looking out toward his porch to see if the lights were on.

"Power's back?" Naruto asked, seeing the Hyuuga smile slightly.

Neji nodded, turning his head slightly, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. Good night, and thanks for letting us stay."

"No problem, cousin." Hinata smiled, watching as her cousin and friend vanished from the living room in a poof of smoke.

Turning to his little sister beside him, and snarling ever so slightly, the blonde began to say, "I'll get – "

"No, you won't." Hinata interjected, gripping his pink shirt and tugging on it gently. "She's sleeping on Sasuke…it'll be easier for him to put her to bed." While Naruto's sight was on Kirei, she winked over to Sasuke, who almost immediately began to pick her up.

As he slid his hands under her knees and around her back gently, he kissed the top of her head gently. "Time for bed, Princess." He said softly, smiling as he felt her sigh deeply.

Naruto watched with wavering eyes as the bastard carried his little sister into their room, at least until he felt a pinch on his chest.

A tired Hinata was looking up at him, eyes soft and almost pleading. "Now, I'm going to go get changed and go to the bathroom…promise me that you'll give them a few minutes alone."

"But – "

She pinched harder this time. "Promise me."

He sighed softly, looking into the room before looking back at her. "Okay. But only a few minutes. I need to make sure she's okay." He answered, seeing a slight, very slight smile on her face.

It may not have been much time, but she was damned determined to give them some time alone. Who knew, maybe Naruto would get more and more relaxed and allow them more time together as the week went on.

She shook her head slightly, getting up and running her hands through her beloved's blonde hair and kissing his forehead. "Good night, love."

He smiled, taking her hands in his and pulling her back down for another kiss, this time, against his mouth. How he missed kissing her, being kissed by her, being with her. "Good night, my dear." He watched as she walked away and into her room, also waiting for her to hit the bathroom before his eyes drifted elsewhere, trying to keep his mind off of who was in the master bedroom.

* * *

"But why can't you stay?" A very sleepy Kirei mumbled, lying on her bed and looking up at her raven, eyes questioning his.

It looked as if he wanted to stay with her, but his words had told her otherwise.

He shook his head, sitting next to her on the bed, looking her dead in those deep blue eyes he loved. "Because I'm not allowed."

"But I want you to."

He sighed, heart aching as she looked at him, lips formed into a sad pout, eyes begging him to stay. "I know you do." He answered softly. "But I'm not allowed to sleep here with you," He told her. "and you're not allowed to sleep with me."

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she felt a pair of fingers on her lips.

"But," He began, leaning over her to bring their eyes closer, to know she was listening to him, even in her sleepy state. "He can't keep me away from you forever."

She felt the corners of her mouth turn up into a smile.

"He won't." He assured, bringing his lips to her forehead and kissing her gently. "Try to get some sleep, okay, Princess?"

She nodded, smiling as her eyes closed tiredly. "I love you…" She mumbled, his fingers still on her lips.

Smiling, Sasuke removed his fingers from her lips and tousled her hair gently, chuckling when he heard her giggle softly. "I love you too." He watched as she rolled over, toward him, eyes closed, her breathing slowing and becoming deep, smile wide on his face.

He lingered for what seemed like minutes when only seconds had past by, full knowing he was being watched by a blonde pain in the ass.

"Time for bed." Naruto said as he leaned on the doorway, arms crossed, eyes watching the raven tuck his little sister in.

"For her," Sasuke answered softly, trying not to wake her up. "I'm going to take a shower."

He nodded as the Uchiha walked closer. "Good." He moved aside only slightly as the bastard walked out of the master bedroom and continued to watch with hard blue eyes as he walked into the living room to grab a new pair of pjs.

Opening the door to the bathroom after she'd washed her hands, Hinata exited the room just as Sasuke walked into the living room, recognizing that look on his face. She sighed.

Naruto had separated them again, hadn't he?

Looking to the master bedroom, she found her blonde nearly glaring at where Sasuke had last been seen and seeing his look, Hinata had had enough.

"You know," She began rather miffed, walking up to him, eyes hard and narrowed. "You're killing them."

It took Naruto a few seconds to realize what she meant, but slowly, his eyes widened.

He only wanted to protect who was most precious to him, to not loose her ever again to anyone, not even someone who may love her. He only wanted her to be safe and happy, like how she was with her real brother, who he could never live up to.

But never did he imagine, nor did he want to kill what she loved. To make her unhappy…which…by keeping her from Sasuke…was doing exactly that. He was unwittingly killing her happiness by protecting her.

He let blue eyes wander to his sleeping cousin and then back to a still upset Hinata.

This time, her eyes were slightly glazed with tears, but still very hard. "And you're killing us too." With one last look, she turned around, walked down the hall and into her room, nearly slamming the door behind her.

She couldn't help but be mad and upset with her boyfriend. He had spent all of their vacation so far fawning over his "little sister", always spending time with her, or trying to keep her away from Sasuke, and in doing so, he'd shoved her aside like some rag doll.

He probably expected that as soon as this blew over, she'd be right there, waiting for him like some dog.

Leaning on her door, Hinata gulped and sighed, trying to fight back tears.

She didn't want to break up with Naruto. Her heart ached and pained at the thought of being separated from the one she truly loved.

But if he kept tossing her aside for Kirei, so be it.

Hinata was no dog.

And she wouldn't wait forever.

* * *

Stepping out of the sauna like bathroom, donned in a new set of pjs, his hair still a bit wet and droopy, Sasuke found it rather odd that the lights in the kitchen and living room were still on.

He found it odder that Naruto was still awake, sitting on the living room couch, on his cell phone no less, a grim look on his face.

He nodded slowly. "Alright, thanks Dad." He said softly, blue eyes flickering to Sasuke and then coming back down to the floor. "Yeah, I'll tell Sasuke. Night."

Black eyebrows ruffled slightly as he looked to the blonde. Sasuke? Since when did he start using his name?

The Uzumaki on the couch sighed a very deep, very heavy sigh as he clipped his phone shut and set it on the coffee table in front of him. He closed his eyes in a moment of thought, trying to grasp what his father had just told him.

"What was that about?" Sasuke finally asked after a few moments of silence, wondering why Naruto seemed so upset all of a sudden.

Sighing once more, he looked up to the raven, no smile or grin on his face. "Sit down…I need to tell you something."

Alarms started going off in the Uchiha's mind. This was definitely not about anything during the vacation. This…this was something more. "Sure…" He mumbled, slowly walking into the living room and sitting on the chair closest to his friend.

Naruto refrained from looking into the black eyes of his friend, keeping his sight straight on the floor. "That was my dad, obviously."

Sasuke let out a dry chuckle, his slight smile returning to a scowl very quickly. It was obvious that this was no laughing – or chuckling – matter.

"He called to tell us that he's finally sorted out what happened at Akatsuki…" He said in a very quiet voice. "At least…" His eyes flickered up to the door of the master bedroom. "…what Nee-chan couldn't tell us."

"Oh…" The raven whispered, watching the blonde. He began to open his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it when he realized there was more to be heard.

He sighed once more, closing his eyes to remember correctly. "According to the reports…there were 3 bodies found within the debris; Ramada, a girl called Daidera and a guy called Sosari. The Seven Tail confirmed, after seeing some photos that she'd killed them. She also confirmed killing 4 other members that they hadn't found yet."

Sasuke listened, but as he added up the numbers in his head, something didn't seem right. There were 10 members in all at Akatsuki, if you counted Kirei and Itachi, who were safe. Subtracting those two, there were 8 members left…and if the Seven Tail only killed 7…

"There's one member missing."

Wide black eyes came to focus with very serious blue eyes. "…Is he?"

Closing his eyes, Naruto shook his head. "We don't know. We don't know if he's MIA or KIA…all we know is that the Seven Tail couldn't confirm killing him and ANBU never found a corpse."

Sasuke felt his heart drop into the deepest part of his chest, his sight drifting over to the master bedroom, knowing exactly who slept there. "Is he after her?" He asked in the smallest voice he had.

Blue eyes found that same door. "We don't know."

A few minutes passed before either one moved or spoke.

Reaching his hand out, Sasuke gently patted his best friend's shoulder as he got up slowly. "Thanks…I'll keep my eyes and ears open…"

"Just promise me one thing, Sasuke." Naruto began as he also stood up, blue eyes looking into the black eyes of the Uchiha. "Don't tell her."

They both knew that Kirei had almost gotten completely over everything that had happened to her at Akatsuki. Both also knew that if she found out one member was possibly still alive, it would not be good for her.

"I wouldn't dare." Sasuke replied, his voice calm and assured. "Try to get some sleep." He gave his friend a small smile, knowing that neither one would really sleep at all, but at least they could try.

"You too." He answered as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. "See you in the morning." With a smile, Naruto walked toward his and his sisters' room, opening the door silently. He smiled when he saw her still sleeping peacefully and smiled even more when he saw his bed, waiting for him. "Ahh, bed." He mumbled, walking over and falling onto heaven.

Outside the room, Sasuke lingered in the living room for a few more minutes before shutting off the lights in the room and the kitchen, sighing as he found his way to his own "bed".

Maybe with a little sleep, tomorrow would be better.

He could only hope tomorrow would be better.


	4. Boardwalk

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more. The song lyric below, belongs to the people who made it (can you guess the song?) xD Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

_Notes: **I'M NOT YET DEAD!**_ To those of you who get that line, bonus points! :D Hahahaha let's just say I've been so very busy. This past Friday was the day I finally left High school. Yep. I'ma graduate. It's very saddening, but yet, very happy because I honestly couldn't stand that place anymore. But the real reason I've been "dead" is because chapter 8 is really an EPIC chapter. I'm warning you all now, chapter 8 will take some time to read, but you'll love it. Maybe. We'll see. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think! :D

_~When there's something strange, in your neighborhood, Who you gonna call?_~

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 4 – Boardwalk_

* * *

Hand in hand, Raiha and Neji walked along the shore, the semi warm morning waves lapping at their feet, their shoes back at the condo.

Despite the love for their friends and the fun they were having, the couple needed a few moments, if not a full day together. Sure, it had been a nice surprise that their friends were there, but the main reason they'd booked this vacation was because they wanted – and needed – some rest and relaxation.

With Raiha almost always in the studio working on the editing of the film, which had ended, thank god, and Neji always gone with filming or missions, they hadn't seen much of each other at all.

That want to see each other also grew, not because they were gone all the time, but also because their engagement was so new.

They figured from the night before that morning would be a very good time to see each other, to spend time together, to catch up on all things.

And, in Neji's view, early morning meant no Naruto.

"Do you think we're far enough away?" Neji asked in the silence, casting an anxious glance toward their condos that were just a dot on the horizon now.

"From Naruto?" Raiha giggled softly, shooting a smile to him as she teased him. She knew that deep down, he really did care for the blonde, but sometimes, enough was enough.

Bringing his sight back to hers, he closed his eyes thankfully. "I needed some silence."

Smiling, she moved out in front of him, taking both her hands in his and pulling him further down the beach and plopped dow3n near the shoreline to where the waves could lap her feet and yet not get her wet.

She pulled Neji down next to her. "We're the only ones out here, dear. Besides…I'm sure Hinata's got him on a tight leash so that Kirei and Sasuke can steal a moment here and there."

Neji let a smile slip onto his lips as he pulled his beloved into his lap, smiling even more when she snuggled closer. He had to admit, if Hinata was good at one thing, it was keeping that knucklehead on a leash. Holding her close, the Hyuuga nuzzled his beloved's neck, planting soft kisses here and there. "I never told you how much I missed you…" He whispered into her ear.

Raiha let out a content sigh. If she could name one thing she'd never, ever let her lover give up, it would be those strong arms being wrapped around her small waist, holding her close to him, not to mention that lovely little ANBU tattoo of his. The only other thing she'd never give up was the way he whispered sweet things into her ear, making her feel like there wasn't a care in the world. It was just the two of them. "I missed you too." She whispered back, trying not to giggle as his hair tickled her neck. "I'm just very happy that the movie is over and done with."

Lacing their fingers and still nuzzling her neck, Neji looked up at her, wanting to see that smile. "Why?"

"No more editing." She replied thankfully, making him chuckle.

"Don't forget, love…We'll be starting the second movie soon." He told her, laughing when he saw her pout.

Pulling away only slightly, she turned her head to face him, pout turned into a scowl. "Don't ruin the moment, Neji."

He looked into beautiful brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Raiha." He said, smiling as he kissed her lips gently.

Her lips also turned up into a smile, she unable to hold her scowl seeing as Neji kissed harder every time he felt her scowl. "That's okay…" She began as they pulled away slightly for air. "I guess I can let it go this time…" She toyed, smile broad on her lips.

He chuckled, setting his chin on her shoulder and pulling her ever closer, feeling her sigh in content in his arms. He wished time would stop, knowing he could sit there for forever and day with her, just watching the waves against the horizon.

Breaking the silence with only a whisper, Raiha let out a deep sigh. "Can we come here for our honeymoon?"

Nuzzling her neck, Neji let out a small chuckle. "I guess we're both in agreement on that then…" He knew she was smiling, not needing to look at her to know. "Which is a good thing, seeing as how I called the Golden Palms earlier…." He added in a mumble.

Despite the mumble, she still caught it, gasping at the name. "Are you serious?" She asked, turning in his lap to face him. "Do you know how much they cost? We could just rent the condo again – "

A firm kiss silenced her. "Raiha, love, I am aware of how much it costs, but you must remember, money is never a problem." He said slowly, breaking one of their hands to bring it up to her face, cupping her cheek. "The money I earn for the movie is more than enough to pay for the house I bought. The missions – albeit long – pay very well, not to mention the money from my family and don't forget," He said, clear eyes boring into brown. "You're working your way up there too."

"But – " She protested.

He set his thumb upon her lips, silencing her once more. "No, dear. Even if I had nothing to my name, had no job to name…I would take you to any place that you wanted to go, no matter the cost. I want everything to be perfect for you…besides…" He smiled, leaning close to her and planting kisses on her jaw, slowly trailing down her neck. "I saw the honeymoon suite online…"

She gasped slightly, also inhaling sharply when he kissed that little spot on her neck.

"You'll like it…" He continued. "there's a private balcony overlooking the ocean…"

"Neji!" She smiled, trying to keep some control over herself. "You're playing dirty…"

Full knowing he was torturing her – in a good way of course – he kept working on that spot, smiling as he did so. "There's a big Jacuzzi in the bathroom…and a huge bed…"

"Neji!" She cried, smiling. "That isn't fa – " Raiha's words cut off, both of them caught completely off guard as a wave crashed into both of them, knocking her forward, which knocked Neji almost flat on his back.

As the wave soaked them and receded, Neji tightened his grip on his beloved, preventing her from being pulled into the water and soaked more than she was. "We should probably head back." The Hyuuga mumbled, knowing that it wasn't good to stay in wet clothes, especially with the cold breeze coming off from the waves. Both of them might end up sick if they did.

As soon as she heard his words, she looked over at him, pouting. "I don't want to go back." She said, wanting to stay with her beloved.

Even though, yes, he had mentioned they should head back, he also did not want to go. The reasoning in his mind was simple. Going back meant going back to where Naruto was. "I know," He began, holding her tightly. "But we both might end up sick if we stay in these wet clothes, especially you."

Spying the still dry sweatshirt her fiancée wore, she smiled. "If I put on your hoodie, can we stay for a little longer?"

Without words, Neji slipped off his sweatshirt and gave it to her, smiling as he watched her put it on and then snuggle closer to her.

It may have been way to large for her, the sleeves ending passed her hands, the bottom settling at her waist because she was sitting, but Raiha loved it. She smiled at he who watched her as she brought the oversized sleeves to her nose, taking in the scent locked in the hoodie. It smelled like his shampoo and aftershave, even though, she didn't know what they were.

"Better?" He asked as he took her hand, leading her away from the shoreline and to a nearby palm tree and sat down against it, pulling her into his lap. Sitting here, it was assured that they wouldn't get wet anymore than they already were.

Still smiling, she nodded happily, snuggling against him and lacing her fingers with his when she felt his hands slip into the pocket of the hoodie. "Much better." She answered, sighing.

A few minutes of wave crashes and seagull's cries passed before either one spoke, reveling in the silence and comfort of being with the other.

"So we're staying at the Golden Palms?" She asked, tilting her head back slightly to see his eyes.

"Do you really want me to change my mind?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Nope." She answered quickly, smiling.

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "There's only a small little problem."

She picked her head up off his chest, nearly turning around the whole way to face him until he stopped her. "What?"

"No, no, dear," He began, holding her tightly to get her to stop fidgeting. "it's nothing bad. It's just…the suite is booked solid next summer."

She ruffled her eyebrows, her heart quickening it's pace. "So what are we going to do?" She asked quietly.

"The closest date is the week of Valentine's Day. Any other date is ridiculous…like Halloween." He answered.

"You mean, this upcoming February?" She asked, her voice still quiet, eyes somewhat wide.

"Yes…" Neji said softly, nuzzling her neck. "But if you're not ready…we can wait another 2 years for a May wedding…or just postpone the honeymoon all together…"

Almost immediately, she shook her head. "I think Valentine's Day is perfect. I don't want a really long wait…and if we hold off on the honeymoon…it'll be hard to get it back." She said, heart assuring her that this was right.

"We're in agreement, then." He answered, voice rich in amusement as he kissed behind her ear, making her giggle.

"So that's it then?" She asked, sighing and smiling.

"What's it?" He asked, looking down at her, a confused smile on his face.

"We're getting married on Valentine's Day?" She titled her head back, brown eyes locking with clear.

Leaning forward, he kissed her lips, smiling into the kiss. "Yep." He answered her. "And you know the best part?"

Returning her head to its natural position and looking at the horizon, she shook her head slightly. "Nope."

"No Naruto."

Raiha could only chuckle and pull her beloved into another kiss.

* * *

It was a beautiful afternoon. The seagulls were high in the afternoon sky, the warmth of the day interrupted by a gentle cooling breeze from the far off waves. People were out and about on this sunny day, walking up and down the boardwalk, eating ice cream and having a good time with friends and family.

Even though this day was beautiful and started out well, Naruto couldn't help but feel some darkening feeling.

He was currently on the boardwalk with his friends, Sasuke on one side, Neji on the other. Raiha, Hinata and Kirei were walking in front of them, chatting away like girls always did.

That dark feeling he felt had started only the night before, when Hinata had talked to him and every time she looked at him, or he looked at her, he felt a ping within his heart, telling him something felt wrong.

"Guys…" He began, hands in his white shirt pockets, eyes glancing toward his girlfriend. "I think Hinata's mad at me."

Coal eyes drifted from his girlfriend to the shops on his right, head turning away. "No shit, Sherlock." He mumbled, stuffing his hands in his shorts pockets. "If I were her, I'd be pretty freaking pissed too."

"Shut it, Teme!" The blonde retorted, glaring at the Uchiha beside him. "I don't care what you think!"

"Apparently not, seeing as how I can't even get a minute with Kirei." Sasuke muttered angrily, eyes still staring at the stores they passed, hands still in his pockets.

He had perfectly good reasons to be upset with Naruto – mainly because he was being an ass and not allowing him even near the one person who made him truly happy – amongst other things, but the raven would and had tried his absolute hardest to refrain from killing the blonde.

Why?

Because of Kirei. Sasuke understood more than anyone how much Naruto meant to Kirei and vice versa and he wouldn't dare make Kirei choose between the two of them. But if Naruto kept this up – keeping them apart – he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

Walking along beside the feuding blonde and raven, Neji sighed. Was he really going to have to separate the two like toddlers? "Guys, knock it off." He said quietly, but sternly, clear eyes boring into blue and black eyes. "Don't cause a scene."

"But I really do think she's mad at me!" Naruto cried, looking at the Hyuuga in disbelief. "I mean, she hasn't said more than like two words to me at all!" He suddenly felt a tiny bop on his head.

Sasuke retracted his hand, putting it back in his pocket. "Dobe, he said not to make a scene." He said indifferently, eyes looking out in front of them, not to his girlfriend, but into the scene. "But I wasn't speaking for me, earlier."

The blonde's eyebrows creased. "Huh?"

"Yeah," Neji added, understanding where the raven was going. "I mean, think about it for a second, Naruto."

The blonde waited for his friends to speak, his gaze drifting ahead of them, to his girlfriend, who seemed to be ranting to Nee-chan and Raiha. He wondered if maybe she was ranting about him.

"When you started dating Hinata, wouldn't you be pretty pissed if I'd gotten in your way and kept you away from her at all times?" He asked, wondering if Naruto was even listening, his blue gaze ahead of them.

"Yeah…but that's Teme's beef with me." He replied to the Hyuuga, thumb pointing over to the raven who immediately glared at him. "I don't understand why Hinata's mad."

Neji sighed, looking up ahead of them to his fiancée. Was it so hard to understand? "She's mad because you've been spending all your time with Kirei. You haven't made any time with Hinata, right?" He asked.

Naruto thought.

"And we're on vacation. Free time that you should be spending with her." Sasuke added, sighing. He knew this only because that's what he planned to do with Kirei before Naruto decided to invite himself along.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "Oh." That was perfectly logical. And now that he thought about it, he did seem to be spending a lot of time with Kirei and neglecting Hinata…but he couldn't leave Kirei alone because that bastard could take her away…

* * *

Ahead of them by only a few feet, Raiha, Kirei and Hinata walked along, talking about the very same subject the boys were, although, the views were greatly reversed. Instead of wondering why she was upset, Hinata was ranting about it.

Raiha and Kirei were listening and offering advice whenever the time presented itself, but the blonde always found her attention drawn away at one point, from either Henna tattoo stands, artwork displayed in windows or glancing behind them toward the raven who smiled every time she looked back.

"I just don't understand it!" Hinata cried softly, not wanting to cause a scene. "He's always been protective of you for sure," She said, motioning to Kirei. "But never like this."

"I think," The blonde began, looking over to her taller friend. "it's because he's afraid." At the confused looks she got, she continued. "Sasuke and I were talking about it a few days ago…He thinks Naruto's scared of seeing me like how I was at Akatsuki and he's doing everything he can to prevent someone from taking me."

Hinata nodded slowly. "Yeah…I guess that makes sense…But still! He's never thrown me aside like this before!"

"Honestly," Raiha began, hearing both sides. "I think he's just overcompensating. I'm sure once he's secure again, he'll come running back to you, Hinata."

The blue haired Hyuuga sighed. "I know he will." She said, her eyes closed momentarily. "But I might not be there. I'm not some dog that will just wait for him, you know?" She asked, looking between both friends.

"Does that mean you're gonna break up with him?" Kirei asked, blue eyes slightly wide.

Rolling her lips, clear eyes found the boards she walked upon. "…Well…I don't want to." She said, struggling to find the right words. "I really, truly love him. But…if he just keeps neglecting me…what else am I supposed to do?" She looked to the blonde.

Kirei's eyes deflected from Hinata, not knowing what to say and seeing the pain in her eyes.

"Talk to him." Raiha said. "That's what I do with Neji whenever something's bothering me."

Hinata looked over to her. "That's like talking to a brick wall."

She raised an eyebrow. "He can't be _**that**_ difficult."

"Oh trust me." The Hyuuga replied. "He can be."

Raiha chuckled ever so slightly, tearing her sight away and looking at some of the shops. "I'm glad Neji's not like that. Everything's been better since we got engaged."

Clear eyes spied the same shop brown eyes were on. "I hope we get there."

Completely missing the subject, Kirei looked to both girls. "I think we should go in there." She said, pointing to the jewelry shop all three girls had been eyeing up for the last few minutes.

"Do you think the guys will follow?" Raiha asked, glancing behind them to the guys who watched them with curious looks.

Hinata smiled a very large smile, shrugging her shoulders. "Who cares? I need some shopping to get all stress this off my mind."

Smiling to each other, the girls entered the small jewelry shop, the guys looking at each other worriedly before hesitantly following them inside.

* * *

Her fingers sliding gently along the glass case that held some very expensive and very beautiful jewelry, Hinata's clear eyes examined nearly every piece before falling on something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

In the center of the next case was the model of a neck, a beautiful blue diamond butterfly necklace set up on it. Although it was made from diamonds, the butterfly itself wasn't large or small, making it a perfect size. It had a pair of matching earrings to boot.

"The Blue Butterfly."

Tearing her eyes away, Hinata looked up. "What?" She asked the redheaded saleswoman, a small smile on her face.

She let out a chuckle. "That's what we call it," She explained, pointing down toward the necklace. "The Blue Butterfly. It's cheesy, but it works."

"It is beautiful…" Hinata mumbled, her gaze drifting back toward the necklace, her fingers resting on the glass above it.

"If you're careful," The woman began, seeing the desire in the blue haired girl's eyes. "I'll let you try it on, okay?"

Smile on her face, she looked up, excitement in her eyes. "Really?"

The redheaded nodded. "Just be careful," She warned, taking the key to the case out of her pocket and crouching slightly, sticking the key inside and unlocking the case. "It's expensive."

Hinata watched anxiously as she took the model out of the case and gently set it in front of her, allowing her to reach out for the necklace and unclasp it. "I could imagine." She mumbled, taking the necklace and holding it up to her neck.

Keeping a keen eye on the blue haired girl, the saleswoman crouched once more, reaching into the counter underneath the case and pulling out a mirror. "It's one of a kind, you know." She informed, holding up the mirror as she leaned on the counter, allowing the possible customer to see.

"It pales in comparison, you know."

Hinata didn't even need to look behind her, knowing the voice of he who she loved dearly. Plus, she could see him from the mirror.

"Still not speaking to me?" Naruto asked, a bit of sadness in his voice as he watched his love try to clasp the necklace behind her neck.

But just because he was speaking to her didn't mean she was speaking to him.

Naruto sighed a heavy sigh. "I guess not…" Nevertheless, he raised his hands to hers, helping to clasp the necklace she couldn't seem to get.

Hinata let her hands slip, one resting on the glass case, the other on the necklace, examining how it looked on her in the mirror. The longer she gazed into the mirror, the more she began to notice that her gaze wasn't holding on the beautiful necklace on her neck, but rather, the blue eyes that watched her with a sad gaze.

And the more she gazed into those blue eyes, the more she realized that maybe he was truly depressed. Then again, knowing him so well like she did, he probably didn't realize why she was upset with him, but was still upset because she wasn't speaking to him. Either way, Hinata knew she had to wait this out. She had to not go back to him, or let him realize that she'd be waiting for it.

It had to be apparent that he could lose her, or else, this could happen all over again.

"It looks lovely on her, don't you think?" The redhead asked, breaking the silence as she looked up to the blonde male beside her, figuring they were a couple.

Naruto nodded, still looking into his love's eyes by way of the mirror. "It is…but she's still prettier."

The woman sighed. How beautiful love was. "You could buy it you know." She said, gaze shifting to the girl. "Wear it for something in the future." She hinted.

Hinata's eyes lowered halfway. Was she really trying to suggest marriage? "How much is it?" She asked, taking off the necklace and setting it back upon the model.

The redhead smiled and cocked her head to the side. "1499 ryu."

Hinata nearly dropped the necklace in her hands, jaw dropping. It was beautiful and one of a kind, but still, she was not going to pay for something that expensive.

"Originally, of course." She continued. "It's actually half off."

Staring at the butterfly, the Hyuuga bit her lip, mulling it over on whether she wanted to buy it or not. Coming from a prestigious family and working two jobs, she had money to spare…but it was just a necklace. It wasn't worth the money. Who knows, it might break the minute they get back to Konoha!

All in all, Hinata shook her head, looking longingly at the necklace. "No, sorry."

"No?" The woman asked, raising and eyebrow. The girl looked like she really wanted it…

"Nope." She said, firming her resolve with every thought, every look at the necklace. With one last look, and a nod to the kind saleswoman, Hinata walked away, a small, but sad smile on her face.

"What about you, hun?" The woman asked, looking up to Naruto. "Gonna cheer her up?"

Naruto glanced at his girlfriend, examining her. He didn't even need to look at the necklace to make up his mind.

* * *

Just as Hinata walked away from the glass counter to preoccupy her mind with other thoughts, Raiha was near the front of the store, in the corner, eyeing up something she'd loved ever since she'd started wearing earrings.

"I knew I'd find you over here." Neji mumbled, snaking an arm around his love's waist as she stared in total happiness at the dangle earrings hanging from the model.

Ever since she'd saw them in a store window once, Raiha had loved dangle earrings.

She smiled, glancing to her clear-eyed fiancé beside her. "I can't help it…. Dangle earrings are so beautiful…" She pointed to the set closest to her, a pair of small dangle earrings with small, but beautiful topaz gemstones hanging from the bottom of the delicate silver chain.

"You have a good eye."

Both looked over to see a curly, black haired woman, presumably the saleswoman, also looking at the topaz earrings. She smiled sweetly at the couple.

"The cut and clarity of the stones are near perfect, along with the fact that those topazes are not factory made." She explained, taking one earring off the model and shining it in the light. "See?"

Seeing the small flecks of light emitting from the stones, Raiha's brown eyes widened in happiness, her lips turning up into a smile. "…wow…" She said breathlessly.

Neji smiled, seeing that astonished look on her face. He nuzzled into her neck, not wanting to draw her attention away, but wanting her to hear him. "You know, love," He began, loving that smile on her face. "I could buy them for you…as an early wedding present." He smirked.

She gasped, not only in surprise, but also in the fact that she might actually get the earrings she'd fallen in love with at first sight. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes." His eyes flickered over to the raven-haired woman, who was putting the earring back to its rightful spot. "How much are these beautiful earrings?"

"They're 220 ryu," She informed happily. "But we're having a sale today. They're half off."

Hearing this, the smile on Raiha's face dampened considerably. She wanted these beautiful earrings, but not at that expense. Of course, to Neji, it may not have seemed like much, since he came from a rich family and had good paying jobs. She, on the other hand, had to work for what she wanted and was not, even thought she wanted them, going to allow him to buy them.

Seeing her smile all but vanish, Neji ruffled his eyebrows slightly. "Honey?" He questioned, turning her gently to face him.

"I don't want them." She told him, eyes on the floor. "I don't want to spend our money."

He sighed. They'd had this talk so many times before, he'd committed it to memory. "Raiha, dear," He began, crouching to catch her sight. "Money is never a factor when it comes to you."

"I know that," She began, her voice quiet. "But I don't want you to, okay?" She asked, her voice still soft, brown eyes looking up into clear.

Neji sighed once more, never able to resist her pleading. "Alright…" He agreed, pulling her close to him. "If you don't want them," He said, placing his head ontop of hers. "I won't get them for you." Her eyes currently off of his, he winked to the curly haired saleswoman, who only smiled in return.

Walking away to give the soon-to-be's a few moments alone, the woman smiled, holding the earrings in her pocket as she slid behind the counter and hid them away for later.

* * *

Kirei couldn't help holding onto the glass of the counter in the front of the store, her blue eyes darting from ring to ring. They were all so shiny and beautiful, she didn't know which one to stare at longer.

They just couldn't keep her attention, although, there was one ring that she kept going back to, no matter how many times her eyes darted away. It wasn't anything large or blinding, but a small silver ring with three diamond shaped onyx stones, separated by two small diamonds. There were other onyx stoned rings, some larger, some more extravagant, but something about this one ring was different.

"See one you like?" Sasuke asked softly, wrapping his arms snugly around his blonde's waist, letting his chin rest on her shoulder as he looked up at her.

She sighed softly, leaning against her boyfriend, thinking about how much she missed being in his arms, being held by him. "Yeah…" She mumbled, nodding slightly while she pointed to that one ring that spoke to her. "That one."

His equally onyx eyes followed her finger and her sight to the ring, smirking slightly when he saw it. It was small, dainty and beautiful. Just like Kirei. "Do you – "

She shook her head before he could finish. "No, I don't want it." She said, gazing at it softly, small smile on her face. "I already have something that reminds me of you." She glanced downward first, to the Uchiha necklace she'd worn for more than a year, and then looked to him, smile growing.

His chin lifted off her shoulder slowly as he straightened up before leaning over and planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Are you absolutely sure?" He asked. "I'll buy you anything – "

"I know." She replied, smiling broadly. "But I don't want it." Keeping her smile, she leaned backward into him even more, allowing him to hold her with a firmer grip. "I just want to stay right here."

Standing up even more, he tightened his grip around her, smiling as he planted a kiss on the top of her head before setting his head on hers. He couldn't deny her, seeing as how he wanted to hold her, and as of the moment, that blonde pain in the ass was preoccupied, so Sasuke sighed, reveling in one of the few moments he got to hold his blonde, his Princess.

But he took one last glance at that onyx ring, remembering exactly what it looked like for when he came back later.

* * *

Even though the blinds were drawn shut, the lights turned off, making the condo very dark – save for the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie playing on the tv – Hinata distinctly heard the sound of the front door opening, meaning the boys were back.

After all that shopping and having fun on the boardwalk with their beau's, the girls decided to crash at the condo and watch a movie or two. The guys, who were acting a little strange, decided to go out and give their girls some peace while doing who knows what.

Currently, Hinata had curled herself up on end of the couch, holding both the remote for the tv and one for the DVD player, while Kirei sat on the other side of the couch, wrapped snugly in a blanket that she'd stolen from her Prince's bed before the movie had started. Raiha decided to sit on the chair near Kirei, wanting to hear the movie the best she could and see it the best she could. Especially for the part when her favorite character showed up.

But, just as Vincent Valentine – Raiha's favorite character – was about to appear on screen, Hinata paused the DVD and looked to the hallway, expecting to see the guys who had disappeared over an hour ago.

"Hey!" Raiha cried, looking over to the Hyuuga, eyebrows creased in anger. "Why'd you pause it?! Vincent was just about to show up!" She pouted.

Hinata brushed off her friend's anger with a smile, giggling slightly as the guys walked in. "Vincent's already here, dear." She pointed behind Raiha, to a rather confused Neji, Naruto and Sasuke.

"Vincent?" Neji asked, ruffling his eyebrows as he walked closer to the chair his beloved was sitting on. "Who the hell is Vincent?"

Hearing his voice, the brunette turned around in her seat, gasping and smiling when she saw her love. "Neji!" She cried happily. "Don't you remember, you're Vincent!"

She was met with knitted eyebrows.

Before going over to his Princess, Sasuke leaned over to Neji, knowing his confusion. "She means from the Halloween party."

"Oh." He began, confusion clearing up as he let Raiha move over, sitting beside her. "The guy with the red cloak."

Smiling even more, she nodded, letting her man's arms wrap around her small waist and pull her onto his lap. "Vincent Valentine."

He smiled as well, gently kissing her neck before letting a hand slip from her waist and into his pocket. "I have something for you." He said playfully.

Brown eyes watched his pocket curiously, wondering what was in his grasp. It obviously wasn't a ring…but what else could it be?

As Neji pulled the small box from his pocket, Sasuke walked one way around the chair, Naruto around the other side, both going to their loves to give them a felt box as well.

"Neji…" Raiha began suspiciously, eyeing the box, her eyes flicking up to his. "I told you not to get me anything."

"I know," He began sheepishly, closing his eyes momentarily and then opening them to look into hers. "But I wanted you to have these." He let her take the box from his hand, and watched with a smile as she opened it.

Seeing those lovely topaz earrings, Raiha smiled, half her heart telling her to let it go and half her heart telling her to give them back. Sure, she wanted them, but not at the expense of their money. "You know I love these…" She began softly, smiling at the shining jewels. "But I asked you – "

"I know what you asked." He cut her off, small smile on his face as he peered into her eyes. "But, you have to know and understand that I'm going to spoil you because I love you. You don't have to worry about us running out of money, love." He assured her, setting his hands gently on hers. "We're never going to have financial problems, I promise."

The brunette mulled it over in her mind, taking a minute or two of silence before looking at her beloved. "So…" She began, smile wide on her face. "I can keep these?"

He chuckled, nodding. He just knew she wanted them that much. "Yes, you can keep them."

Taking them out of the box gently and still smiling, Raiha fitted the earrings to her ears, setting the box aside before snuggling back with Neji, waiting for the movie to play again, that way, she'd have both her Vincent's with her.

Still curled up in the navy blanket she'd stolen, Kirei smiled, her blue eyes locked with her Prince's calm black eyes as he walked over to her, smirking.

"Hey." She said happily, smile growing as he sat next to her.

Removing his hands from his pockets, he eyed the blanket currently wrapped around his blonde. "Stole my blanket, I see." He said playfully.

Giggling softly, Kirei's eye broke from his, smile still wide on her face. "I couldn't resist…" She began, biting her lip. "I miss you…I thought I could at least have something of yours wrapped around me while you're gone…and it smells like you…"

His smirk grew into a smile as he reached over to her, slipping his hands underneath the blanket and to her small waist, gently pulling her onto his lap. Staying silent, he kissed her neck sweetly, lacing their fingers with one hand, the other stealthily reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring he'd bought for her only moments ago.

"Well, I can't be wrapped around you all the time…" He whispered, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her scent deeply. "So maybe this will help, Princess." Using the leverage of their hands laced together, he slipped the onyx ring she'd pinned for onto her right hand ring finger, eyes waiting to see her reaction.

Feeling something strange on her finger, the blonde ruffled her eyebrows slightly, fingers unlacing with his as she played around with the strange object. "Sasuke!" She gasped softly, smiling. "You didn't!" She looked over at him, smiling even more when she saw the smile on his face.

"I did." He answered, feeling his blonde wrap her arms around him, snuggling into his chest, making him smile. "I know you wanted it."

She couldn't help but nod, her lip still bitten. "I did…but I'd rather have you." She smiled, looking up to her Prince, her raven, while also hearing something she'd sorely missed.

He kissed the top of her head, tightening his grip around her waist to bring her just that little bit closer. "I'll always be yours, Princess."

Drawing herself away from his heart, she slipped her arms around his neck, kissing her raven sweetly. "I'll always be yours, Prince." She told him, looking him dead in the eye. "Thank you."

Taking a hand from underneath the blanket, he ruffled her hair, seeing and hearing that cringe and giggle he didn't get to hear as often as he used to. "You're welcome."

Snuggling back against her beloved's chest, both raven and blonde looked to the last couple and to the tv, waiting patiently for the movie to come back on.

Although, to them, it didn't matter if the movie ever came back on. After being apart for so long, and then together, but never truly together, it felt nice for everything to back to some type of normalcy.

Although Kirei and Raiha had both smiled and were happy that their loves were back, Hinata kept the remotes in her hands, her clear eyes glancing up at the blonde who came near before looking back toward the screen.

Her eyes darted away more out of unable to see her love hurt than true anger.

Seeing her glance, Naruto kept his hands in his pockets, offering a small smile. "Hey." He didn't dare sit down next to her unless he wanted to get his head chopped off.

"Hey." She answered quickly, still keeping her sight from his. "Where've you been?" She asked, already knowing that he probably bought her some type of jewelry, seeing as how Raiha and Kirei got jewelry.

Taking a quiet deep breath, Naruto sat down beside her, removing his hands from his pockets as he pulled out a medium sized box and setting it on her thigh. "I got this for you." He said softly, watching her eyes as they glanced over.

Letting the remotes go, she shifted, pulling some hair behind her ear before picking up the box, somewhat curious as to what was inside.

Slowly, Naruto's smile grew as she opened the box, clear eyes clearly lightly up happily as she saw the blue butterfly necklace with matching earrings. "Do you like it?" He asked softly after a few moments of silence.

Rolling her lips as her fingers graced over the blue diamonds, Hinata sighed. "I love it." She looked up to him. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you, you know."

"I know," He nodded quickly. "I need to pay more attention to you."

"That's right." She confirmed. "You can't toss me aside."

Moving closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder. "That wasn't my intention. I love you."

Sighing as her resolve broke into little bits and pieces, Hinata closed the box and set it aside, making sure that it wouldn't fall and break as she snuggled closer to her blonde. "Are we all content?" She asked, getting a nod from Neji and Raiha. Looking over to Sasuke and Kirei, she figured that the kiss they were sharing meant they were content. "Alright, then…" She said happily, feeling the grip around her tighten. "Let's get back to the movie!"

* * *

As the movie came to a close, a sleepy Hinata pulled the DVD remote close to her face, blinking her tired eyes in some hope to help her see the buttons clearer.

"I'll get it, dear." Naruto said softly, taking the remote from her hands and stopping the DVD while also shutting off the DVD player itself. "Why don't you head to bed?" He asked her, kissing the top of her head gently. "I can tell you're tired."

"Yeah, we're heading there too." Neji said softly, turning his head slightly to look over at the blonde. "She's already asleep." He said, looking down at his brunette and smiling.

"Yep." Sasuke added, not able to see, but knowing by his Princess's breathing that she was asleep. "Kirei's out too."

Making sure he had a good grip on his fiancée, Neji scooted to the edge of his seat before standing up. "Good night, guys." He nodded to the raven, the awake blonde and to his cousin before teleporting off with his sleeping love in his arms.

"Yeah…" Hinata began sleepily. "I'm heading there too…" Snuggling into her blonde, she made sure that he'd stay there until Sasuke had taken Kirei to bed and spent a few minutes with her. "As soon as I feel like getting up…" She mumbled, glancing at the raven for only an instant.

Sasuke got the hint, nodding slightly to Hinata. "Time for bed, Princess." He murmured, one hand releasing her waist and moving down her legs and to her knees, the other moving behind her back as he did the same as Neji; scooting to the edge of the couch before picking her up.

Being lifted up so suddenly, Kirei awoke only slightly. She didn't even bother opening her eyes, knowing by the beat of his heart and how he smelt that Sasuke was the one carrying her, probably to their bed.

Naruto watched, almost ready to growl, as Sasuke carried his little sister into their master bedroom, blanket and all. But with Hinata still mad at him – and still on him – he didn't dare get up.

Not if he wanted to lose her.

* * *

Sighing softly as Kirei felt herself set into her bed, still wrapped in the soft and warm Uchiha blanket, she opened her eyes only a little, feeling a hand run through her hair. She stretched out her legs slightly, smiling when she felt the bed dip beside her. "Do you want your blanket back?" She mumbled, rolling over to face her Prince while finding and holding his one hand with hers while the other raked through her hair gently.

"No," He answered, watching her with a smile before leaning in and kissing her forehead. "You keep it."

Turning her head, Kirei opened her eyes even more, looking up into onyx eyes. "But I don't want to – "

Smiling softly, he leaned down, kissing her to shut her up. "It's alright, Princess…" He assured, examining those deep blue eyes of hers. "There're more blankets in the hall closet. Plus…I can't be with you, so at least something of mine will be with you."

Looking up at him, she ruffled her eyebrows slightly. Weren't they in bed? "You can't?"

He sighed, eyes darting away, unable to see that slight sadness in her eyes. "…No…" He began softly. "I'm not allowed to, remember?"

She blinked in remembrance. "Oh…yeah…" She mumbled, her eyes slowly drifting downward.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, nearly growling at the sad tone in her voice that he hated to hear. This is not how it should be. He shouldn't be telling her that they had to sleep apart. He should be sleeping right next to her, comforting her, being with her. But he wasn't. He couldn't. Damn that Naruto for this!

All of a sudden, the Uchiha felt something soft on his cheek, making him look back towards his Namikaze.

"Try to get some sleep…" She said, caressing his cheek and looking over the dark circles under his eyes, knowing that he wasn't getting much sleep without her. "Please…just try…okay?"

He smiled softly at her, loving how concerned she was. "I will." He answered, running a hand through her hair again. "You try to sleep too."

Giggling softly, she smiled back, sighing once more. "If you can't stay for good…" She began quietly, keeping her eyes closed as she let her head roll back to the side. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

His smile grew, hand running through her bangs continuously while the other gripped both her hands. "Whatever you wish, Princess." He answered, leaning down and kissing her temple.

Who really cared if he stayed for a few more minutes? Stayed until she fell into a deep sleep? Not him.

Naruto probably cared and would probably throw a fit because he stayed longer, but at this point Sasuke didn't care anymore.

Screw Naruto.

* * *

It wasn't long before Kirei fell back into a deep sleep, enough of a sleep for Sasuke to successfully leave her side without waking her up again. Leaving the room, he shut the door behind him as quietly as he could and as he looked out into the living room, wasn't at all surprised as to whom was still on the couch, looking at him.

Seeing that Hinata was missing, Sasuke figured that she'd already gone to bed, but as always, Naruto remained, watching him with narrowed blue eyes. "Hinata already went to bed?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

A few minutes of silence passed before either one spoke, although both could feel the tension swimming through the room.

"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke finally asked, breaking the silence. He had some idea as to why his friend was keeping him away from the one person who actually made him happy, but having some idea wasn't enough. Sasuke wanted, needed to understand why.

Looking up into the onyx eyes of the raven, Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Doing what?" He asked, even though he knew what Sasuke was talking about.

Sasuke let out a small snarl. Like Naruto _**didn't**_ know. "Keeping us apart." He answered.

The blonde on the couch felt his heart drop slightly. He didn't like where this was going.

At his silence, the raven continued. "You know I can't sleep without her…right?" He asked, eyebrows creased slightly in anger. "I can't sleep without knowing she's right there with me, in my arms."

Naruto sighed softly, feeling his heart fall with every word his best friend said. "I know, Sasuke."

"And I know for a fact," Sasuke continued, feeling the pent up anger in him begin to rise to the surface. "that she doesn't get a lot of sleep without me either. She likes to be in my arms, to feel safe. And after Akatsuki, she's been waking up with nightmares. Do you know who calms her down?" He asked, nearly glaring at the blonde who couldn't look at him.

"Look, Sasuke," Naruto began softly, keeping his eyes on the floor. "I know all of that. I understand it – "

"Than why won't you let us be together?!" Sasuke retorted angrily, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes.

Closing his eyes, the Uzumaki sighed heavily, trying to search his brain to find the words to explain. "Sasuke…It's just…" The words weren't coming as easily as he'd hoped. "I can't…" He looked up to the raven. "It's hard to explain."

"You know better than anyone that I love her." The raven continued further. "That I'd rather give my own life to save her. That I'd kill for her if it came down to it. I would never let her get kidnapped again." He said, staring straight into blue eyes.

"And I know this – "

"You know," Sasuke interrupted, fists shaking from the anger running through his blood, eyes closed for fear of using the Sharingan. "it's because of that girl in there that I haven't snapped, maimed and/or murdered you yet. I know how much the both of us mean to her and I would never make her choose between us because she can't. She won't."

Blue eyes stared, wide eyed, at their friend, his guilt tearing away at him.

"But," He continued. "I swear…if you continue to keep me away from her, I can't promise that I'll be able to control myself." Snarling, Sasuke opened blood red eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

Naruto continued to stare, mouth almost opening in shock. Was Sasuke really _**that**_ mad?

"Good night." The raven snarled, turning heel and walking down the hallway and to bed, where hopefully, his anger would dissipate and he could try to get some sleep.

What he left in the living room was a very distraught, very guilty Naruto, who brought his sight to the floor, burrowing his head into his hands.


	5. Caving

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Not too much to say today...Summer life is quite boring. I did get to see Transformers 2, and it was AMAZING. I love Bumblebee 3 Also, I updated my Deviantart account, so if you'd like to see any new artwork of mine, drop me a message. Enjoy the chapter! It's one of my favorites!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 5 – Caving_

* * *

Slowly awaking from one of the best night's sleep she'd ever had, Kirei sighed a deep sigh, stretching out her legs and arms, loving that oh-so-familiar smell of he who she loved. Giggling softly before rolling onto her side, she held the blanket he'd given her the night before close to her, curling up with it and enjoying the dark quiet of her room.

But not all was as it seemed.

In the silence of her room, Kirei sat up worriedly, blue eyes looking at the door as she heard a very muffled, scary sound beyond the door.

Even though it was hard to distinguish, because of the door, deep down in her heart, she knew what that sound was.

The sound of screaming was unforgettable.

* * *

Only minutes before the blonde had woken from her sleep had the feud between the Uchiha and Uzumaki started, both standing so close, even fists could cause major damage.

"She's my girlfriend, I deserve the right to spend time with her!" Sasuke raged, glare so narrowed, so focused, he felt as if he could bore a hole through Naruto's head.

Growling as he stood up to meet the raven's glare, Naruto clenched his fists. "And she's my little sister! I have the right to refuse anyone who wants near her! I'm her protector!"

Holding the blanket her Prince had given her the night before to give it back to him, Kirei hesitantly left her bed, throwing the blanket over her shoulders. Wincing at the further screams, she slowly set her hand on the doorknob, not sure if she should open it or not.

Although she hated fighting and screaming, she turned the knob and opened the door, preparing herself for what lied beyond the door.

"Her brother?!" Sasuke replied incredulously, eyebrows creasing even more. Grabbing the collar of the blonde's shirt, he gripped it tightly, preventing him from dodging. "You aren't her brother, let alone her protector!!" Raising his clenched fist, Sasuke pulled it back, ready and very willing to punch the face in of he who denied him what he most wanted.

"Nii-san?" A confused and rather upset blonde asked, running a hand through her bangs to see better. She could easily see – and knew – that they were fighting. "Sasuke?" She asked, feeling her heart starting to race a little. No matter who it was or what it was about, she hated fighting.

Hearing his Princess's voice, all anger dissipated from Sasuke's body, his grip and fist loosening as he released the blonde in front of him. "Kirei…" He began, looking over at her and knowing that look on her face. The look of confusion and tears.

"Nee-chan…" Naruto mumbled, anger also gone at his cousin's appearance. She was more important than their stupid feud.

Blue eyes wide, Kirei hesitantly looked back and forth between the two of them, hands clenching the blanket around her shoulders securely. Closing her eyes tightly, the blonde darted out of the room, throwing the porch door open and closing it before leaving the sight of the two still in the living room.

Listening to the fight the whole time from the second living room, Hinata knew that it wouldn't be long before Kirei awoke and also knew very well that she wouldn't take kindly to it.

The blonde had never liked screaming or fighting and everyone knew it. She wouldn't be around the film grounds when they were filming a fighting scene and if she remembered correctly, that was the main reason Kirei'd moved out of the Manor. She couldn't stand fighting with the head maid there.

Sighing, she left her room, preparing herself to speak to a couple knuckleheads who couldn't learn how to share.

"Look what you did!" Naruto accused, pointing a finger at the raven, still glaring.

Sasuke snarled, glaring right back. "What I did?" He asked, trying to keep his calm. "You're the one – "

"Shut up, both of you." Hinata commanded as she walked into the living room, crossing her arms as she stood in front of both boys. "You're both to blame and you know it."

Her beloved little blonde opened his mouth to protest, but seeing the glare Hinata was sporting, decided to shut his mouth and listen. That and the fact that she was still pretty pissed at him.

Sasuke stayed quiet only because he wanted to go tend to his Princess, who seemed hurt by both of them.

"Now look," Hinata began, sighing and closing her eyes. "I'm only going to say this once. And I better not have to repeat myself."

There was such malice and hatred in the Hyuuga's voice, the raven and blonde gulped and made sure they were paying attention.

"Ever since we got here…No, even before we got here," She began, thinking back to that previous Sunday. "You two have been fighting over that poor girl out there." She pointed to the porch. "Naruto, I understand that you want to spend time with your _**cousin**_ after what happened at Akatsuki. But there is a line between spending time and putting her in a glass box. You and I have had this conversation before and I'm not going to go through it again."

Submissively, Naruto nodded, blue eyes darting to the floor. He knew that he was hogging his Nee-chan, but it was for good intentions, even if no one else thought so.

Hinata turned her attention to Sasuke. "Now, Sasuke. I know that you love Kirei. We all know that. After what happened, you more than deserve to spend time with her and get back all that time that you lost." She paused, getting an accusing look from Naruto, who though she was just blaming him. "But," She continued. "You shouldn't be using Kirei to get back at Naruto. That's just plain wrong."

It was Sasuke's turn to look at the floor to think. He really was using her, wasn't he?

"You both need to learn how to share." The Hyuuga continued, keeping her arms crossed, but not near as tight as before. "Because you cannot keep fighting over Kirei. We all know that she won't be able to choose between you two. Your fighting is tearing her up inside."

Blue eyes slowly drifted from the floor to the raven beside him, lifting the corners of his mouth into a small smile. He sighed and then looked back to Hinata. "What do you suggest we do?"

Sasuke nodded, agreeing with the blonde.

She smiled, somewhat happy that they were starting to get this. "Well first," She began, malice slowly ebbing away. "You're going to go out there and apologize to her." She looked to both raven and blonde, making sure they were listening and listening good. "And then, later tonight, Sasuke and Kirei are going to go out on a date."

Naruto's jaw dropped ever so slightly as he did his best to hold in his outburst. A date?! When he'd tried so hard to separate them? Well…they did deserve a little time together… He could even follow behind them if he wanted to….

Looking at Hinata, Sasuke's jaw also dropped a little, although the corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile. A date?! Finally, some time alone with his Princess.

"But, there are some conditions. Naruto, you must stay here in the condo while they're out." She smiled.

Well, that shot down his idea.

"And I will be "supervising" the two of them, just in case." She continued, still smiling. "Just following behind nonchalantly, not interfering, alright?"

Sasuke nodded, his smile growing. It didn't matter if Hinata was there with them, so long as he got to be with Kirei; to hold her and kiss her, to just be with her was all he wanted.

Nodding to the raven, who finally looked happy, Hinata continued smiling. "Now that that's all sorted out," She sighed, looking at both boys. "you're both going to go out there and apologize to her, because you know as well as I do that you guys upset her."

Looking over to his raven-haired friend, Naruto nodded, offering him a small smile. "Let's go."

Sasuke nodded, following the blonde to the porch door only after he smiled to Hinata, who smiled to both boys.

Leaning against the wall of the master bedroom, the Hyuuga continued to watch, just to make sure they weren't going to fight anymore and to see what her little blonde would do.

She hated the thought that she had to yell at them like children, but it seemed like that was the only way for everything to go back to normal.

* * *

Taking a shaky breath to calm herself down as she sat on the steps of the porch, Kirei held the blanket around her shoulders, trying to figure out why the two most important people to her were fighting.

They knew very well that she hated it; that she couldn't handle people fighting, especially over her. So then, she asked herself, why were they fighting?

She knew that it was over her – that was obvious – but why, exactly? Could it be because she wanted to spend time with her Prince, with Sasuke, when Naruto wanted to spend time with her too? Or was it the other way around?

Maybe it was just them, wanting to keep the other away, like Sasuke had suggested before?

Burrowing her head in her hands as it begun to ache from thinking, she sighed a heavy sigh, closing her eyes.

Just as she set her head in her hands, the door behind her opened slowly and, if she heard right, there were two sets of footfalls, which just meant there were two people behind her. Despite them coming out to see her, she stayed seated.

They would have to show they aren't going to fight if they wanted to talk to her.

Seeing that she hadn't moved, nor acknowledged their presence, Naruto shot a worried look to Sasuke, who glanced at him with that same look. "Nee-chan?" He asked softly.

"Are you okay?" The raven continued asking, taking a step toward her, watching her back with worry.

Well, that was a change. At least they sounded like they were getting along. Taking her head from her hands, she held onto the blanket still around her shoulders and stood up while turning to face the two who meant the most to her. She looked to Naruto and then to Sasuke. "Don't you ever do that again." Her voice cracked as she spoke, blue eyes glossed over.

Neither one dared to look away, knowing that Kirei was completely serious, that she needed them to listen more than any time before.

She took another shaky breath, holding back tears. "Because there is no way that I can _**ever**_ choose between you two. I can't and I won't." She hoped that after this, they would never fight again. "Please don't make me."

Seeing the pain on her face and hearing it in her voice, both raven and blonde's heart ached, knowing that they couldn't feud anymore; at least, when she wasn't around to hear it.

"Nee-cha – "

"Kire – "

Both boys stopped in their tracks, looking at each other when they realized they were _**both**_ going to hold and comfort her. They could do that if they really wanted to make things better…but in this instance, it was probably better if only one of them went to her, to calm her down.

Realizing that he might as well start learning to let go now, Naruto sighed softly, taking a few steps back to allow the Uchiha to go to her. "Go ahead." He said softly, nodding to a confused Sasuke.

Nodding back with a look of understanding, Sasuke smiled slightly to him before turning all of his attention on his Princess. "We're both sorry, Princess." He said softly, walking right up to her and pulling her into his arms. "We won't fight anymore."

Burrowing her face into her beloved's chest, hands gently gripping his shirt, Kirei smiled, taking in a deep breath to breathe in the scent of her Prince. "Promise?" She mumbled, lying her ear on his heart.

Rubbing her back gently, he kissed the top of her head. "Yes, we both promise."

Kirei smiled, snuggling deeper into his chest and giggling when he poked her.

Watching the two of them, Naruto couldn't help but smile. He had to admit, that despite him wanting to keep her away from everyone and everything, there was a warm feeling coming into his heart that told him this was right.

That things were supposed to be this way, even if they didn't involve him into the equation.

Naruto promised himself that if Kirei was happy, no matter what she did or who she was with, he would do his best to stay out of it.

That was the least he could do.

* * *

Wearing a pair of black capris, no shoes and two tank tops like she always did, Kirei stood on the back porch in her bare feet, looking up into the orange sky, wondering when Sasuke and Hinata would be coming out.

As soon as she'd been calmed down earlier in the day, she'd been told of their supervised date with Hinata, which she was surely happy about.

She loved her brother like cousin and loved spending time with him, but there was a point where she wanted to spend her time doing something else; like spending it with Sasuke.

Sure, she'd seen him off and on during the months being back home, but they never really had time to themselves other than at night, when they were sleeping and that didn't allow them much time to reform the bond they once had.

Thanks to Hinata, they were finally getting that time they needed, even thought she'd be with them. At least they knew that she'd give them the time they needed and not bother them, unlike her cousin, who'd probably be right beside them the whole time.

Looking out into horizon, wrapped in her own thoughts, Kirei never heard the glass door slide open, or see the raven that was walking toward her with a smirk on his face.

Wrapping his arms around her waist and holding onto her as she jumped in surprise, he chuckled, waiting for her to settle down before setting his chin on her shoulder. "What're you thinking about?" He asked, knowing that look on her face like the back of his hand.

Leaning against him, she sighed softly, smiling. "Just how I'm excited…and how Hinata's amazing…"

"No, you stay here." Hinata commanded gently, her back towards the couple, pointing a finger towards a very sad Naruto. "You promised."

Blue eyes wide as he stood at the door, the Uzumaki put on his best pout, glancing at the couple behind her. "But Hina…"

Hinata's clear eyes looked at her boyfriend sternly. "Go on," She said gently, motioning to the couch. "go sit on the couch, love."

With a heavy sigh, blue eyes still large and sad, Naruto kissed his lovely Hyuuga on the forehead before turning around and walking toward the couch as she shut the door.

"You two ready?" She asked as she turned around, smile widening when she saw them together, both smiling in the way they do.

Kirei's was also a large, bright smile, her off white teeth shown from in between her pink lips, while Sasuke's was more of a reserved smile, his teeth not shown at all, lips just slightly curled up.

When they heard Hinata, they turned toward her, smiles still apparent as they nodded.

"Where would you like to go tonight, Princess?" Sasuke asked as they walked off the porch steps and onto the cool sand, Hinata following a few steps behind them.

No words spoken from her lips, Kirei detached herself from her beloved, taking her hands in his and leading him along in the way she always used to do.

Just like how he used to, he let her lead him along, smile just a bit larger than before.

* * *

"Alright…I think we're far enough away…" Hinata said, looking behind her to where the condo would be seen, but found no condo. Just hotels lining the beach.

Kirei still leading her raven along by his hands, both stopped and turned toward the Hyuuga at her statement. Sasuke took this moment to wrap his arms around his blonde, making her giggle as they waited for her to continue.

"From the condo, I mean." She smiled at the two, seeing them both smiling and looking like they were finally enjoying themselves.

Trying to stop Sasuke from tickling her, the blonde tilted her head, wondering just what Hinata was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"You honestly think I'm going to follow you guys on your date?" She replied incredulously, smiling.

His arms loosening just a little bit, Sasuke stood up a little straighter when he heard her words. Yeah, he was happy to finally get some time with Kirei – even if Hinata was there – but was she absolutely serious?

"It would be the same if Raiha followed Naruto and I on a date and even I wouldn't like that." She explained. "So, while my little blonde is thinking all of us are together, I'm actually going to be at the Arcade a few blocks down and you two are going to spend some time together."

Her mouth slightly apart, Kirei blinked a few times before her lips turned up into a smile. "Hinata…" She began, mind racing to find something to say.

The Hyuuga laughed, finding both blonde and raven speechless. "Just remember to call me whenever you two are finished so that we can walk back to the condo together, okay?" She asked, still smiling.

"Hinata…I don't know what to say." Kirei began, still slightly speechless.

"Don't worry about it," The blue haired shook her head. "I know better than anyone how much you guys need this."

The blonde let her eyesight fall to the sand, her mind wondering how in the world she was going to pay her back for all of this. "Thank you," She began softly, blue eyes looking up to clear as thankfully as she could.

"This means a lot." Sasuke finished for his Princess, black eyes on Hinata's.

She nodded. "I know it does. That's why I'm doing it. So, I'll let you go, okay?"

"Before you go," Kirei began, rolling her lips. "I've been curious…How exactly did you get the role of Hinata on the show? I mean, she's so shy and…not dominant, like you are." She asked, watching the Hyuuga and waiting for an answer.

Hinata was more than happy to explain, her eyes darting downward as she pushed her two pointer fingers together in the shy way that 12 year old Hyuuga Hinata did. "W-well…you see," She spoke very softly, trying not to smile. "There had already been at least 5 other girls who auditioned for her part…but there's a certain scene…a little ways away from now in the show…that requires the person to be dominant…"

Sasuke nodded, already knowing what part that was, but kept quiet. He knew that Kirei watched the show and in no way wanted to ruin it for her.

Letting her hands fall to her sides, Hinata looked up, a confident smile on her face. "And that's why they chose me. I can act as both the shy Hinata and the confident one."

"Thanks, Hinata." Kirei replied, thanking her once more.

"Just enjoy yourselves, that's all I can ask. See ya." With one last smile, Hinata vanished in a poof of smoke, allowing the blonde and raven much needed time to themselves.

* * *

Everything was boring.

Nothing inside the condo, not even the tv, could hold Naruto's attention. His mind kept drifting back to who was out on the beach, or wherever they were.

Eyes darting to the glass porch door, he wondered if maybe he should get up and just take a little look outside…

Shaking his head furiously, Naruto closed his eyes, trying to shake out the thoughts from his mind. He'd promised Hinata that he wouldn't try to find them and he couldn't do that to Kirei.

Not after everything that had happened since she'd come to live in Konoha and especially what happened in Akatsuki. He knew that her wounds were deep – seeing as how Kirei was naïve when it came to the Ninja world and didn't know the extent of everything that went on with war and terror like Ninja did – and also knew that he could only heal them to an extent.

He realized earlier, when he saw Kirei and Sasuke together on the couch, he tickling her neck and whispering things into her ear to make her laugh, that only Sasuke could fully heal her wounds.

It hurt to know this, but he had to understand it. He had to cope with it. He had to let her go and live her own live.

But…

Damn was it hard to keep his mind off of them! The tv was no help and there were no other electronics to keep his mind preoccupied…or was there?

Blue eyes had since drifted from the glass doors to the coffee table, where there was one electronic devise that could entertain him indirectly.

Reaching over, Naruto grabbed his phone and leaned back into the couch, opening the device and dialing a certain Hyuuga's number.

Sitting on his couch and holding his beloved fiancé a condo away, Hyuuga Neji burrowed his face into her neck, loving how she smelled and how she giggled near every time he inched closer.

But the Hyuuga's smile almost immediately vanished as something in the room vibrated against a desk.

"Should we – "

"No." Neji cut her off, already knowing who was calling him. There was only one person who ever called him at the same time he was having a moment with his love.

Smiling at her almost husband's distaste of Naruto – when he really did see him as a friend deep, deep inside – she shook her head and poked him. "You should at least see what he wants."

With a very heavy sigh, Neji reluctantly pulled away from his Raiha and got up off the couch, going over to the coffee table where his phone was still buzzing. He took his time in reaching out for the phone, closing his eyes as he picked it up and flipped it open.

Before he even got a word out, Naruto sighed in relief. "Neji!!" He cried happily, thanking god that he answered. "I'm so bored!!"

The long-haired Hyuuga's eyes lowered. "I'm not your entertainer, Naruto." He answered flatly.

"Oh, Neji," Raiha huffed as she got up from her seat and walked over to him. "Don't be so mean."

"But…" The blonde replied, somewhat sad. "There's no one else here…Please?"

Very quickly, Raiha snatched the phone from her love's hands, able to hear the blonde's words. "Of course we'll come over. Just give us a few minutes, okay?"

The reply was immediate. "Yeah!! Thanks, Raiha!!"

Just as soon as the brunette clipped the phone shut and set it down, she pulled Neji away from the wall, seeing as how he was just about to bash his pretty head off of it. "Oh, come on, he's not that bad."

A very gentle glare was sent her way.

She crossed her arms, eyes hardening to meet his glare. "You're his friend, Neji. We're going."

Knowing that it was better to agree with his love than to argue with her, the Hyuuga nodded. "Just let me put a shirt on…"

* * *

Within minutes, the couple was outside, walking toward the glass doors of the Uchiha condo, where they could clearly see the blonde, upside-down on the couch, looking at them.

Raiha couldn't help but laugh and smile, loving how cute Naruto could be at times. "We're coming!!" She cried, seeing him fall off the couch and scramble to the door to wait for them.

Neji was quick to block her view. "Raiha!" He whispered. "He's hyper enough as it is, don't add to it!" It's not that he hated Naruto; no, they were friends. It was just that Naruto wasn't easy to deal with when he was hyper.

"But he's so cute!" She retorted as they made their way up the steps of the Uchiha's porch and to the door where Naruto was waiting for them, big blue eyes watching every move they made. "He's like a little puppy!"

Neji scoffed. "More like a mongrel." He mumbled, eyes darting away from both of them.

Putting her hand on the doorknob, Raiha turned to Neji before she opened said door, smirking. "Either way, Neji…" She began, her tone completely serious, making him shiver. "we could still adopt him."

If it could be said, Neji's pale white face went even whiter.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!!" Naruto cried happily as Raiha opened the door and pulled her fiancé inside. "I was so bored and I'm not allowed to leave the condo and I was so scared I was going to leave the condo but now I won't!" He said in a rush, bounding beside Raiha.

She smiled, although the boundless energy he had could get very annoying very quickly. "Why can't you leave?" She asked, seating the speechless Hyuuga on one of the chairs.

Naruto sat on the side of the couch closet to his long haired friend. "Cause Nee-chan and that Teme are on a date and I'm not allowed to bother them."

"Oh…" Raiha smiled, happy that they were getting some time alone for once. "Well, at least they'll get the time they need."

"Yeah, but I'm still bored." He replied, still smiling, knee bouncing from excitement. "Can we play twister again?"

"No." Neji interjected, his sense's coming back to him like a speeding train at the word, "twister." "Anything but that." He pleaded, looking at the blonde.

Getting up and bounding into his room, Naruto rummaged around his closet, looking for something for the three of them to do, at least, something that wasn't Twister. "How about…Candyland!!"

"Oh God." Neji mumbled, putting his head in his hand. But he couldn't contest.

Not even as Naruto walked into the room, carrying said board in his hands as a smile crept onto Raiha's face.

He couldn't contest because of two things.

One, Candyland was one of Raiha's favorite games as a child and still was to this day. He wasn't going to make her unhappy, no way, no how.

Two, it wasn't Twister.

* * *

As the moon slowly rose over the watery horizon, night sky clear as crystal and full of stars, Kirei and Sasuke walked along the shoreline, their hands intertwined.

The blonde walked closest to the waves as they lapped against the cool sand, knowing that Sasuke didn't exactly like to get wet.

Being near the water and hearing it slosh back and forth, her head resting gently on her Prince's shoulder reminded her of older days. "You know…" She started off softly as they walked. "my brother and I came to the beach a few times when I was little…"

Onyx eyes looked over to his blonde. She never had really told him all about her brother, or what they used to do together, but slowly, he realized, she was starting to open up about it. He decided to remain silent and grip her hand, telling her to continue.

"When we came to the beach at night, we had this game we'd always play." She continued, letting her smile start to show as she remembered how her brother and she played on the beach.

Gently letting her hand go, Sasuke slipped his arm around her waist and smiled when he felt her right hand set itself on his. "And what was this game?"

Picking up her head and smiling that broad smile he loved to see, she looked out into the dark waves. "Chasing the waves."

Despite loving his Princess, Sasuke was not about to get wet for her. He liked to remain dry as dry could be. But he'd listen to how the game was played, just for her.

"See," She began, looking at him. "you go down to where the sand is wet, to where the waves can reach and chase the waves as it recedes and you have to run away as it comes back up. If you get wet, you lose a point. Whoever has the least amount of points wins." She explained, looking back out into the sea with excitement.

He could see this and with a kiss on her temple he nudged her closer to the waves. "Go ahead and play, Princess. I'll wait for you."

Smiling growing larger, the blonde turned back to him, eyes alive with happiness. "Really?"

He nodded and kissed her again. "Go have fun." He smiled and gave her waist one last squeeze before letting her go.

Kirei giggled slightly and reached up on her toes, kissing her beloved in thanks before rushing down to the water to play.

Still walking along the shore – but at a much slower pace – while watching Kirei laugh and dodge the water like a child, Sasuke found it somewhat odd.

Kirei had always hated, no matter what, to get wet from the rain. Other than a shower and swimming, she hated to get wet. And yet, here she was, playing in the ocean. Although…it was just her feet and ankles getting wet…and when Sasuke thought about it, she had gotten wet before.

Closing his eyes and smiling slightly, the raven remembered to a few years back, to Four Winds, when Kirei had tricked him onto that water ride and both had gotten soaked.

Hearing squeals of joy, Sasuke's smile widened as he opened onyx eyes to find his Princess running toward him, feet covered in sand, smile wide on her face.

"You should come join me." She said, gently grabbing his hands and tugging on them.

He didn't budge, but still smiled. "No, thanks."

She kept her eyes square with his, smile forming into a pout. "Ple – "

"And although that looks like fun," He continued, knowing her "please" would break him if she got it out. "I know something that's even more fun." He smirked, pulling her closer.

She eyed him suspiciously, knowing that smirk on his face. The smirk that meant he was planning something. "And what's that?" She asked hesitantly, curiosity getting the better of her.

Smirk growing into a smile, onyx eyes looked dead into blue. "Chasing you."

It took the blonde a moment to register his words, her eyes not flickering once, her mouth dropping open and slightly smiling. "You wouldn't." She said, leaning back only slightly and lifting up her heel just in case she really had to run.

His smirk widened, eyes never leaving hers as he leaned forward slightly. "I would."

Heartbeat and blue eyes growing slightly in alarm and in excitement, the blonde smiled, giggled and squealed when she felt him pinch her sides like he always used to do.

Just after that, he let her go, starting their little game of cat and mouse.

* * *

Following Kirei at a steady pace, although she was probably running out of breath by now, Sasuke had to admit to himself that she knew him better than he thought.

As soon as he'd let her go, she'd made a beeline for the water, to where the waves would at least hit her ankles but not slow her up in the least. She must've remembered that he hated getting wet from nearly 2 years ago at Four Winds.

Nevertheless, a little water wasn't going to stop him from chasing her, even if he was only jogging for the most part. After all, Kirei wasn't exactly an athlete and he was a Ninja.

It would only be a matter of time before she stopped, or at least slowed down, anyway. He could wait until then.

Just like Sasuke'd suspected, Kirei was pretty much out of breath. She knew she hadn't been running long, but still…she wasn't fit – almost at all, from doing nothing all day, every day – and the sand sticking to her feet from the waves didn't help either.

Nor the fact that her legs were on fire from running.

With a very large deep breath, the blonde decided that she'd slow down to at least a jog. Who cares if Sasuke caught her? He was going to in the end, anyway. It'd just be sooner rather than later, and that Kirei didn't mind.

Letting her pace slow even more, she decided to check behind her, just to see if he was still following behind her, but was a little surprised when she did look.

There was no one behind her.

At all.

Nearly stopping, the blonde furrowed her eyebrows, still examining behind her. "Wha…?" She asked herself.

She'd just seen in front of her, and he surely wasn't there. But he wasn't behind her either.

So where was he?

"Gotcha."

Screaming in both surprise and happiness, Kirei felt a pair of hands on her hips and her feet suddenly leave the earth as she flew upward into the air and then was caught by those same secure arms wrapping around her thighs like nearly a week before at the premiere.

"You're mine." The raven mumbled, loving how his blonde's hair fell onto the both of them, looking up into those blue eyes he'd missed seeing.

Pouting playfully and yet smiling, Kirei let her arms rest on his neck as he held her, opening her eyes and bringing them back down to her raven's eyes. "You sneaky bastard." She laughed, setting her forehead on his.

"Yes," He nodded as much as he could, her smile making him smile. "but I'm your sneaky bastard."

"You're damn right you are." She answered as he turned, his back facing the city and it's many lights, her back facing the shoreline.

He faltered for only a second, never once hearing Kirei swear before. Or at least, he never remembered if she had. "And you're my Princess." Not even bothering to set her back on her feet, Sasuke plopped into the sand, making sure as to not hurt her in the process.

She squeaked with the sudden fall, but didn't mind it. After all that running, she needed a breather and smiled when Sasuke picked her up once more, and set her against his chest, holding her waist within his arms. "You're always warm." She commented, snuggling closer to him and setting her ear on his chest.

He held her tighter with this shift of hers. "Am I?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Mmhmm." She nodded; opening her mouth to speak once more, but suddenly closed it. Something wasn't right.

Getting up slightly, the blonde pulled away just enough to look at her Prince's chest. Oh, so that's what was wrong.

"Kirei, what are – " Sasuke soon got his answer when she suddenly smiled and shifted to his other side and snuggled up close to him like she always did. "I love you." He chuckled, kissing the top of her head when he realized she was listening to his heart.

She giggled at his kiss and how his arms around her tightened, tilting her head up to see him. "I love you, too." She said, straightening her back as to kiss him.

He happily kissed back and then tickled her side to get her to smile once more.

Without a care in the world, both sat on the shoreline of the beach, waves just gracing their feet as the moon reflected light upon the sea and illuminated the sky, spending the time they had together that they most rightfully deserved.

* * *

Sighing softly, Sasuke gently continued petting his blonde's hair, feeling her sigh as well.

They'd been in the same spot for a while, this he knew, because the moon was well beyond the horizon line and it was pretty dark out. Plus, the tide had receded.

And although Kirei, or himself had really spoken much – if anything at all – neither one cared. Just being together without interruptions was all they needed.

They didn't need to say sweet, cheesy words to the either, or have a mad make-out session. They didn't need to sleep together – even though he could justify that this was pretty much sleeping together since Kirei was nearly asleep – or do something new and exciting together.

They just needed to make up for the time they lost and all that required was being together.

But all this silence had got the Uchiha thinking. Well, being apart for so long had gotten him thinking.

He'd had it on his mind that during this vacation he was going to at least attempt to ask Kirei just a few questions, which he knew she wouldn't mind.

The subject they were about is what he was really worried about.

Ever since she'd returned somewhat safely from Akatsuki, he'd thought about what would happen to them next. Namely, their future together.

But that was the problem. He knew that _**he**_ was ready to talk about it, about getting married, maybe even having some kids some years later in their life together, but was she?

He knew that some girls didn't like talking about their future because it was usually too soon in the relationship. With this previous relationship with Sakura, he made that mistake and never wanted to do it again.

And yet, he really wanted to know what Kirei thought. He wanted to know what she thought about all of this, about what they were going to do.

"You're thinking too much." Kirei began softly, startling the raven if only slightly.

He jumped so minimally, anyone with an untrained eye wouldn't've noticed. "What?" He asked, looking down to his blonde as she looked into the starry sky.

"I can hear your heart." She told him, eyes diverting downward in tiredness. "And all of a sudden, it started beating faster…which told me you're thinking about something." She explained.

If she'd looked up at that very moment, she would've seen the shocked face of the Uchiha, along with a slightly blush. Damn. She really did know him that well, didn't she? "Yeah…" He confirmed. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions…"

She thought it weird how soft his voice was, but smiled. "Go ahead." She said sweetly.

After taking a deep breath, he sighed and prepared himself, hoping to God this wouldn't freak her out. "Well…ever since you came back from Akatsuki, and even a little before then…I started thinking more about…us."

"Us?" She questioned, not picking up her head, but ruffling her eyebrows. Did he mean…

He nodded hesitantly. Repeating him questioningly was not a good sign. "…Yeah…Like about if we're going to continue dating…or if we get married…" It was a known fact that Sasuke couldn't exist without Kirei…but was it the same with her?

She smiled, letting her features relax and her eyes close. Sasuke was just too damn adorable. "When." She corrected.

Looking down, it was his turn to ruffle his eyebrows. "When?" He repeated.

Opening her eyes and still smiling, she looked up into confused onyx eyes. "When we're going to get married." Kirei couldn't exist without Sasuke either.

Confusion lifting, the raven smiled, a little confidence filling his heart. "So we're going to get married." He almost questioned, looking far out into the horizon as he clutched his blonde a little closer to him. It felt good to say that.

She joined his line of sight. "In a few years…" She added. Yes, she wanted to marry Sasuke, but not now. It was too soon now.

"Of course," He assured. "it won't be now. Naruto would kill me and Itachi…he'd be happy beyond words." He told her, thinking of how his older brother would be so happy, it'd make him want to puke.

Kirei couldn't help but laugh, knowing that he was right. "Don't forget the rest of the real Akatsuki." She added, laughing even more when she imagined their faces on their wedding announcement.

Sasuke chuckled as well, removing a hand from her waist and tousling her hair, smiling when he got the reaction he'd missed getting. "Let's not go there." He said, still chuckling. He did have more questions to ask her, after all. "But…what do you think…about kids?"

Kids? "Very, very far off." She said quickly, eyes diverting to the sand. She was semi good with little kids…but having kids of her own? No way, not yet.

Plus, having kids meant having sex, and that, she wasn't ready for in the least.

"I'm not ready for that." She said absentmindedly, her thoughts too focused on the thought of sex rather than kids.

Already knowing his blonde's thoughts, Sasuke leaned forward and craned his neck downward to catch her sight. "It's not that bad, Kirei." He told her, knowing exactly what was coming.

It took her a minute, her eyes blinking as she came to realize the meaning behind his words.

"Wait…" Heartbeat increasing, she pulled away from him slightly, so that instead of leaning on him, she was sitting in his lap. Her somewhat wide, somewhat shocked blue eyes stared up into his. "That means…you've…" Her voice cut horribly short.

He kept his eyes right with hers and nodded. "Yes, Kirei," He admitted. "I've had sex before."

As her heart skipped a few beats, she turned her side toward him, drew her knees up close to her and buried her now red face into her knees.

Why was it, that almost everyone she knew, almost everyone her age had already had sex before? To her, having sex was a scary thought. Committing your whole being to one person, maybe two and letting them get that close to you. Close enough to break you into tiny pieces if they wanted.

Well, now that she thought about it, it wasn't the act that scared her. It was the meaning _**behind**_ the act. Was she ever going to be so in love with someone, so ready to give them her soul, heart, mind and body in one simple act?

She buried her flushed face deeper. Why was this so difficult?

He smiled ever so slightly, already prepared for her reaction. He knew and respected that Kirei'd never had sex before and also knew that he had to reassure her. He couldn't let her think he was going to force her to do something she didn't want to do – nor was she ready for.

Reaching his arms out, he wrapped them around her shoulder and her knees, setting his forehead on her head, his mouth next to her ear. "Don't fret, Princess." He whispered, already knowing her mind was flying with thoughts. "I know you're a virgin and I respect that."

She kept her face buried.

"I honestly wish we hadn't done it those many years ago." He admitted, gently kissing her exposed cheek.

Oh. That's right. Sasuke's only other girlfriend had been her friend, Sakura. Kirei sighed. Well damn. It's gonna be a little more awkward for her around Sakura now.

"Kirei, listen to me." He said, this time a little more forcefully.

She closed her eyes and exhumed her face a little. "I'm listening." She said softly.

He smiled and pulled her a little closer. "I don't want you to be embarrassed or scared. I know you're not ready. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do or aren't ready for."

She wasn't sure why, but Kirei sure felt like crying. Letting her knees slip slightly, she leaned against him, making him set his head on top of hers. "I know…" She started off, her voice still cracking. "I know you won't…It's just…why am I the only one? Why am I the only – "

"Stop." Sasuke commanded softly. "Don't worry about other people and if they've had sex or not. All that matters is when you are ready." He told her, gently rubbing her shoulder and kissing the top of her head. "And I honestly don't care if you're never ready for it. You mean much more to me than sex."

"But I want to be ready." She retorted sadly. "I want to be ready…and have kids…"

"But I don't want you to be pressured into _**saying**_ you're ready, Kirei." He said sternly, but softly. He had to get his point across. "I want you to be ready, no matter how long that takes. Three days or ten years, it doesn't matter."

Her eyes shifted downward, to the onyx ring placed on her finger and thought about his words.

He took her silence as a meaning to continue, his eyes gazing out onto the horizon line. "I want you to be ready…because, honestly, Kirei…" His voice softened considerable. "I wish I hadn't of done it with Sakura all those years ago…"

Slowly, the blonde in his arms shifted, making him move his head off of hers as she looked up at him. "Really?"

He nodded, eyes still gazing outward. "Yeah…I do. We were only dating because of the strains of the fans and the show, to be truly honest…and the only reason we really did have sex was because everyone else was. We were pressured into it." He explained.

Her eyes returned to the ground.

"That's why I don't want you to just _**say**_ you're ready, Kirei." He held her just a little tighter. "I know what it's like being the only one…trust me. I want to spare you that regret." He explained, gently setting his head on hers again. "That's why I don't care how long it takes for you. So long as it's your decision and you know it's right."

Sighing softly, Kirei had to smile to herself. Despite the coldness of the Uchiha sometimes, he was truly sweet to her. Wanting to spare her what he already went through meant a lot to her; it showed how much he cared.

But regardless of how sweet he was, was it really right to make him wait? Was it even fair?

It didn't seem all that fair to her. After all, he loved her. He was going to go further into each session they had, even if it was just a tiny bit. Going further also meant getting more excited…and then to suddenly make him stop? That wasn't right.

She couldn't deny him what he most wanted.

From her silence, Sasuke new she was thinking about what he'd said. But she couldn't think. She had to know. She had to understand. "Kirei…" He removed his head from hers, along with his hand from her knees and pulled up her chin, so she was looking him in the eye. "Don't worry about it. I'll wait."

"But…I can't – " She began to retort until her lips were caught up with his.

Pulling away from the kiss, he looked deep into her blue eyes. "No, Kirei. I already told you, I don't care how long it takes. I love you and I want you to be happy. If nothing else ever happens between us, it won't matter to me. As long as you're happy, because if you're happy, I'm happy." He kept his eyes on hers, hoping to get through her thick skull. "Okay?"

Her eyes diverted away for only a second. So he wanted her happiness…and not sex? Of _**course**_ he did.

Furrowing her brows slightly, Kirei wondered why she ever thought otherwise. He never tried to push her and stopped when she'd tense up or ask…and anything he did do, was to make her happy.

Smile coming onto her face, she snuggled back into her love's chest. "I love you, Sasuke." She took her hands from around her knees and set them upon his chest, gently holding his shirt.

He smiled as well, now knowing that she understood. "I love you, too." Kissing the top of her head, he removed his arms from around her knees and back, wrapping them around her waist instead and pulling her closer.

For a few minutes, they sat together in silence, both very content.

At least, one of them was.

Kirei still hasn't answered his question about kids. But he was afraid to ask because that was the question that brought up this little talk in the first place.

With all of his courage, Sasuke took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "Kirei…"

Eyes closed and very content, the blonde didn't bother moving. "Hm?"

"You never did answer my question…about…kids." He finished hesitantly, worried onyx eyes looking down at her. It unnerved him when she didn't move.

Although not moving her body, she had moved. Her blue eyes had opened and were looking up into the sky. "Honestly…I'd already decided what kind of kids I want…no matter who I'd have ended up with."

Tilting his head slightly, his eyebrows ruffled. She already had them picked out? Even before having a boyfriend? Or a husband, for that matter? "Really?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "Yes. I decided during that year of travel I had…before coming to Konoha." She told him, voice quite firm, as if she was adamant on her decision.

He noticed the change very easily. Kirei always had a hard time deciding things before, so for her to have something decided, it meant that it was very meaningful. He listened closely. "And what did you decide?" He asked softly.

She shifted slightly, putting her hands in her lap and leaning more of her back against his chest so that she could look out onto the dark sea. "I want a little boy." Her voice was soft and full of emotion, yet firm. "So that I can name him Daisuke." She continued, her voice cracking ever so slightly, her eyes almost glazing over. "And take care of him the way he took care of me."

Eyes softening so very much, Sasuke tightened his grip around her waist and laced his fingers with hers.

"After that, I don't really care if we have more kids." She concluded, knowing that could be decided later. They had their whole lives ahead of them, after all. "But what about you?" She asked, lying her head on his chest and titling it back to look up at him.

Almost immediately, he diverted his eyes from hers and felt a blush rise in his cheeks. "…" He remained silent.

Sighing as she smiled, the blonde got up and turned so that she was facing him and tried to look him in the eyes. "I told you, Prince…It's only fair you tell me." She said, still smiling.

He sighed. "Honestly…" He looked at the sand, cheeks almost turning red. "I never thought I'd find someone to have kids with…let alone get married…" He mumbled, whole face turning red.

Putting a hand up to her mouth, Kirei tried her hardest to stifle her laughter, but he was just too damn adorable.

"Hey," He looked at her, still blushing. "Don't laugh at me…it's true."

She shook her head, trying to stop laughing. "I'm not laughing at that, Sasuke." She explained, smiling broadly. "You're just such an emo!" She cried, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly tackling him, sending his back to the sand and she along with him. "But I love you."

"I'm not emo." He replied flatly. Although, he was smiling. And holding her. And kissing her. "I love you too." And loving her.

Pulling away from his lips only slightly, she looked into those black eyes. "Of course you'd find someone, silly," She told him, still smiling. "I mean…I knew I'd find someone, someday. I just didn't think it'd be you – and you'd be…more than I could ask for." She told him, eyes not wavering once. "It's destiny to find someone."

Sasuke was a little more than shocked. He didn't expect himself to mean that much to her, but he loved it all the same. To know you were loved, you were needed was a very good thing. He smiled back. "I don't believe in that stuff." He answered her. "But I will say it wasn't just coincidence that we met."

She may not have agreed with him on the first part, but the second part, oh yes. There were some larger forces at work when it came to the two of them. They didn't have everything in common, no, they were almost opposites, but somehow, they made it work.

"But speaking of destiny…I'm sure Naruto's called Neji by now…" Sasuke eluded, eyes glancing away from hers for only a second to look up into the sky. "It's late anyway."

Her smile immediately turned into a frown. "I don't want to go back." Tired of holding herself up by her elbows and knowing she was probably hurting him because her elbows were on his chest, she lied back down, letting her ear rest on his heart.

He smiled softly and continued to hold her, thumb stroking her sides. "I know…but the sooner we go back, the sooner we can go home to Konoha and the sooner we get back to the loft…where there's no Naruto." He told her, knowing this would change her mind.

She thought for less than a second.

Sasuke watched with a smile on his face and a few chuckles as Kirei quickly let him go, got up, grabbed his hands and tried to pull him up. "Alright, alright," He complied, getting up as she pulled him up. He took one of his hands from hers and set it on her head, tousling her hair and smiling. "Calm down, Princess, we still have to call Hinata."

She giggled and cringed, her smile growing even more, if it was possible. "Oh, right." She remembered that the Hyuuga wasn't around even though she told Naruto she would be.

Shaking his head at her, he snaked his arm around his waist and yanked her closer as his other hand pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Hinata's number.

In the checkout aisle of the closest grocery store, Hinata smiled at the cashier and looked down as the phone in her pocket began vibrating. "Thank you." She smiled, grabbed her two bags and left the store.

"You're welcome." The older woman said, waving as the blue haired left.

Setting her bags down on the sidewalk outside the door and leaning against the wall of the building, Hinata dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "About time they called…" She mumbled happily. They'd spent more than just a couple hours together, which had brought them into the early hours of the next day, Friday. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hey." Sasuke replied. "We're heading – "

There was a small scuffle accompanied by a short silence. "Hi, Hinata!!" Kirei answered happily.

Just the tone of her voice brought a smile to the Hyuuga's lips. Kirei sounded so much happier than before. "Hi, sweetie. Are you two heading back?" She asked.

"Yep." The blonde giggled. "Can you meet us at that – Stop it, Sasuke!" She cried, still laughing.

Shaking her head, Hinata's smile widened. It seemed they were back to their old antics. "Yes, of course. I'll be there in a minute."

She was still laughing; still trying to get Sasuke to stop whatever he was doing and squealing happily. "Okay, we'll see you – "

Kirei's happy screams and squeals came from the receiver and all Hinata could do was shake her head, smile and shut her phone.

* * *

As Hinata landed on the beach, in the same spot she'd left to let Sasuke and Kirei, she furrowed her eyebrows, noticing that there was no blonde, nor raven in her sight.

Sighing, she set down her bags and wondered where the hell they were. It's not like it took forever to walk down a beach, but it was dark and who knows how far they walked?

And although cliché, it seemed as if the walk down the beach at night worked for them, because Kirei sounded much, much happier than before. Hinata could hear the smile in her voice, and, for the few seconds she'd heard Sasuke's, he sounded happier too.

"Can't you put me down now?"

Hearing the pleading voice of said blonde, the Hyuuga turned around and almost fell over with laughter.

Oh, the two were definitely back and definitely happy. Kirei had always been this happy, but Sasuke…he looked happier than ever before.

He was smiling a full smile, teeth and all as he held his blonde on his shoulders, her legs on each side of his head, his hands on her thighs to prevent her from falling. "Nope." He answered, closing his eyes happily.

The blonde on his shoulders was happy as well, but very embarrassed. "Come on…" She begged, hands laced into his hair to help her stay balanced. "Please?"

Without words, the raven complied, letting his blonde finally put her feet back on the ground. But that didn't mean he let her go. He stood almost directly behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Hey, Hinata." He said indifferently, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Hinata could not believe her eyes. Hell, she couldn't believe anything anymore. "Hey." She answered back, smiling. Despite all these things, it was good to see them happy again. "You two ready to go back?"

The blonde looked back toward her raven and then brought her eyes to clear eyes. "Yeah…we're ready. But," Eyes landing on the bags below Hinata, she ruffled her eyebrows. "What's in the bags?"

"Oh," Hinata smirked, telling the two that she had something up her devious sleeve. "You'll see."

* * *

"Wow!!" Naruto cried happily, jumping up from his seat on the couch. "I won again!!"

The Hyuuga on the chair near him set his head in his hand and rolled his eyes. "Yippee." He said unenthusiastically.

He was somewhat excited the first time, only because Naruto had never played Candyland before. But when they'd played for – how many hours was it now? Ugh, he didn't know.

He didn't care. It was the some numbered time that Naruto had won and he was ready to shoot himself. Or stab himself. No, maybe he'd maim himself. Burning sounded good too, at this point.

Yes, Neji was so bored, he'd thought of ways to harm himself. Anything to keep him sane.

Sitting on the couch next to Naruto, Raiha was having fun, but she could see that Neji was ready to do something else. Even though his face was almost never changing, she'd been able to figure out how to tell the differences, no matter how slight. "Congrats, Naruto." She told him, smiling. "But don't you think we should find something else to do? It's after midnight."

He sighed, feeling a little tired. It was after midnight, wasn't it? But wait….that meant that that bastard and Nee-chan had been away from him – and together – for 5 hours! "Yeah, we can – "

The Uzumaki's voice cut horribly short as the glass doors to the condo slid open and the couple currently on his mind entered the living room, both smiling and a little surprised when they saw Neji and Raiha.

It was logical to think that Naruto would've called Neji over, but Neji staying this late?

"We're back!" Hinata called from behind them, holding both of her bags in one hand and shutting the door behind her as she made her way inside.

Standing there, Naruto looked between his cousin and his friend, and then his girlfriend. He could go over to them…but they looked really happy, just standing together. Even the air around them seemed a little different.

Smiling, the taller blonde averted his eyes to the Hyuuga that was now carrying the bags into the kitchen. He followed her, smile on his face, blue eyes curious. "What's in there?" He asked quietly as he peered over her shoulder, moving from side to side to try to see as she pulled out the items.

She smiled, setting the case of beer on top of the plastic bag and turned her head slightly, to face him. "Beer." She answered, reaching for the other bag and setting that case on top as well. "And wine coolers. Want some?"

"Yes, please!" Neji called from the living room, almost begging his cousin for the drink that could make Naruto so much easier to deal with.

Trying her best not to laugh, Hinata grabbed a can of the beer and not the wine cooler and threw it to her cousin, knowing he'd want it as soon as possible. "You're welcome, Neji."

"Thank you, god!" Neji toasted, raising his glass upward as he popped the tab, opening the drink.

Reaching around his beloved's waist, Naruto kissed her cheek and also grabbed a beer. "Thanks, sweetie." He kissed her once more, this time on the forehead and hugged her before heading back into the living room, crashing on the couch and opening his drink.

"Hey…" Raiha began as she walked over to the counter, brown eyes on the wine coolers Hinata had in her hands. "What kind of flavors do those wine coolers have?" She asked, leaning on the counter.

The Hyuuga smiled, turning the container so that Raiha could see. "Yes, there's a few fruit punch, just for you, dear." She answered and handed one of them to the brunette.

She happily took the drink. "Thank you so very much." She smiled, nodded and opened the drink before heading back to her beloved, who was already halfway done with his drink.

Separating a wine cooler for herself, since there was only one of the grape flavored, Hinata smiled slyly to herself. Her plan to bring something alcoholic from home was horribly crashed since Naruto had used all the extra space for games, but that wasn't so bad.

At least there were grocery stores around, which helped to continue her devious plan. It all involved her getting everyone else drunk, so that her beloved blonde would be easier for her to control…and hell, getting Kirei and Sasuke a little tipsy wasn't so bad either. It wasn't like it'd hurt their bonding time.

Although, Neji and Raiha weren't accounted for in her plan, she was happy to have them. It'd help distract Naruto a little more.

"Hey, Hinata."

The clear-eyed looked up and smiled when she found Sasuke and Kirei standing at the counter. "Hey. Want something to drink?"

Sasuke's eyes became half-lidded. "We've been living with Naruto for almost a week. I _**need**_ something to drink."

The blonde beside him giggled softly, her blue eyes watching as he reached for a can and took it. As he opened it, she shifted her sight to the wine coolers, curious as to what flavors there were. She wouldn't dare drink them, but just seeing the flavors wasn't bad.

Hinata saw her eyes and smiled. "Want one, sweetie?" She asked, knowing the blonde would probably refuse.

Blue eyes flickered up to clear in alarm. "Oh, no thanks." She answered immediately. "I don't drink." She may have been 18, but her mindset was that she was still 17 and unable to drink. Plus, she didn't see the enjoyment in it.

From the Christmas and New Year's parties a few years ago, the blonde remembered seeing more than a few people wasted and wondered why anyone would want to be drunk. Seeing all of them act the way she did, she promised to never drink; to never act like that.

Hinata sighed. It looked like getting Kirei to drink would be a little harder than she thought. "Honey," She began, clear eyes looking into blue assuredly. "It's okay to have one drink. You're here with friends and family."

Her eyes flickered downward as she bit her lip. That was definitely true.

"Princess," Sasuke began, also trying to convince her. He didn't want to pressure her into drinking, but he was curious as to what she was like when she was drunk. "If you don't want to drink, that's perfectly fine." He sent a small glare to Hinata, so that she knew not to pressure his blonde. "But, Hinata's right. You're here with all of us. Nothing bad will happen if you get a little tipsy."

"Plus, it's a lot of fun!" Raiha added as she slipped off the armrest she was sitting on and into her fiancés lap.

Little did she know, she hadn't slipped. Neji had indiscreetly pulled her into his lap.

Eyes still looking downward, her lip still bit, Kirei thought about it. They were definitely right; there wasn't anyone there that would try to do something if she did get drunk. They were her friends, and one of them, her family.

Sighing a heavy sigh, the blonde relented. "Okay…but just one. Maybe not even that."

Hinata resisted breaking out into a sly smile. But she still smiled. "That's perfectly fine, love." She turned around the case of wine coolers so that the Namikaze could pick which one she wanted. "Pick any one you want."

Kirei looked over the flavors carefully before reaching out and choosing one of the orange flavored ones. She examined the bottle before looking up to Hinata. "Thanks."

"No problem." She answered, waiting for the couple to walk into the living room before leaving the drinks out on the counter so they could go back for seconds if they wanted.

Sitting on the couch next to her Nii-san, Sasuke on her other side, the blonde looked over her drink once more, trying to figure out if it was a pop-top or a screw on top, and if she really wanted to drink it at all.

Noticing, Sasuke set down his own drink and gently pulled it from her hands and opened it for her. "You don't have to drink it all, Princess." He said, handing it back to her and nuzzling her neck. "You don't have to drink it at all, if you don't want to."

She looked at the mouth of the bottle before taking a small sip. "It's…" She began, looking over at Sasuke and smiling a little. "Not that bad."

"Of course it's not, Nee-chan!!" Naruto cried, one hand holding his beer, the other finding its way onto her shoulders and pulling her toward him. "Alcohol is a great thing!!"

"Yes," Hinata interjected, holding her own wine cooler as she stood between the two blondes. "it is."

"Heeeey…Hinata…" Naruto smiled, releasing his cousin and smiling up to his girlfriend as he moved over, allowing her to sit beside him. "I love you…"

Smiling, she sat between the two blondes and laughed when Naruto snuggled up to her, still holding his drink. "I love you too, dear." She planted a kiss on his forehead when he gave her those big blue eyes of his.

While Kirei was watching the two, wondering exactly how she'd end up if Naruto was already gone, Sasuke decided it was a good time to reach over, wrap his arms around his Princess's waist and pull her into his lap. "You're mine, Kirei." He said into her ear, smiling when he heard her giggle.

Taking another gulp, Kirei smiled, looking dead into onyx eyes. "Didn't you know?" She asked, smile growing. "I've always been yours."

Grabbing his drink with one hand, he smiled back and kissed his blonde, wondering if that drink of hers was starting to take effect. And if it wasn't, he wondered when it would.

* * *

Everyone in the living room of the Uchiha Condo knew one fact about the game they were playing.

As soon as they'd sat down, drinks in hand, everyone content, Naruto had suggested that they play a board game, something they could all do together. That game turned out to be Monopoly.

But, some drunk, some buzzed, no one remember that the game Monopoly was hard enough to play sober.

They soon realized that it wasn't any easier to play semi-drunk.

"I don't know guys…Do I have to pay 100 ryu or 500?" Naruto asked, staring at the play money in his hands. He failed to notice that they were the 10 and the 5 ryu, instead of 100 and 500.

"It's 15." Neji stated, taking another swig of his drink. It'd calmed him down some and seemed to be working wonders on making Naruto much more enjoyable to be around. "Plus, you've got 100 and 500 in your hands."

Bringing the money closer to his face, he looked closely, squinting his eyes. "They are!!" He exclaimed.

"Hey look!!" Raiha suddenly cried after drawing a card and then dropping it. "I'm in jail!!" She smiled, placing her piece in jail.

Sighing, Hinata set her head in her hand. "I don't think we're gonna get any further in this game, Neji…" She raised her eyebrow when her blonde suddenly decided to join Raiha in the jail and then high-fived her.

"I agree." The other Hyuuga agreed, nodding his head and sliding his clear eyes over to the other couple, finding them oddly silent.

Hinata's equally clear eyes followed his and at seeing the raven nearly glaring back at her, smiled.

"What?" He snapped, looking back and forth between the two Hyuuga's, light blush coming onto his face. "I can't help it that she likes to sleep on me." He looked downward, to the blonde currently sleeping peacefully on his chest.

The female Hyuuga's smile grew sly, her eyes watching the two. "You're so cute, Sasuke."

His blush grew just a smidge redder, eyes darting away and glaring at the carpet.

"Well, despite all this, I think we're gonna head back home." Neji interjected, looking over at his brunette.

She was currently pulling up all the chance cards and trying desperately to read them, while yet, seeing if she could keep her piece in jail.

"Tomorrow's going to be a long, long day." He added, scooting over to the brunette and trying to get her attention. "Raiha…" He said. "Raiha!"

Nearly falling backwards, his fiancée smiled and looked over to him, trying to keep her drink in hand and keep it from spilling. "Heeeey….Neji…" She smiled at him, reaching her free hand over and pulling some of his hair behind his ear as she crawled toward him. "You're beautiful…you know that?"

Neji stared. And then blinked. "Not here, Raiha." He scolded, very gently, letting her crawl toward him. He just didn't expect her to crawl into his lap.

Big brown eyes stared up at him. "Oh, but Neji…" Lip pouting, her hands traveled down to his collar where her fingers fiddled with the fabric.

Eyes slightly large, the longhaired Hyuuga looked from his drunken fiancée to his cousin, whose eyebrow was rose, a sly smile on her face. "What?" He asked, nearly snapping as he squinted his eyes.

Her eyebrow returned to normal, eyes showing a bit of mischievousness that her smile definitely portrayed. "Oh yes," The younger Hyuuga agreed. "tomorrow's going to be a long day. You should get going home."

Although no one else would've noticed – Sasuke too focused on his sleeping blonde, Naruto trying to stay in jail with every card he tried to read and Raiha playing with his shirt – Neji could hear that tone in Hinata's voice. That perverted tone that knew what he was up to. "Gladly." He answered, smiling.

Hinata watched with calm eyes as Neji kissed his brunette's forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Night, Neji."

He nodded, and in a poof of smoke, was gone.

As soon as Neji left, Raiha gone along with him to do whatever they wanted, Hinata stretched out her arms, sighing a very large sigh. "I think," She yawned. "it's time for bed."

"Yay!" Naruto cried, throwing the cards he was currently holding in his hands into the air before latching onto the waist of his girlfriend. He snuggled into her stomach, taking a deep breath. "I like my bed!" He told her, eyes large as he looked up to her.

She couldn't help but giggle softly and run her fingers through his golden locks, sighing. With how drunk he seemed to be, hopefully, he'd allow them to just sit around tomorrow, since he'd probably be in bed all day with a headache.

Looking over to the other blonde, who was – as they found – a sleepy drunk, she knew Kirei'd be sleeping most of the day. The morning after hangover was no joy to handle.

She giggled as her attention brought back to her blonde, who'd decided to snuggle his face into her stomach once more, tightening his grip just a little. He'd missed his Hinata a lot more than she'd realized.

"I think we should get our two sleepy, drunk blondes to bed." Sasuke spoke softly, still holding his blonde in his arms, onyx eyes watching her sleep.

"I'll get him…you get her." Hinata said, although she really didn't need to. It would make more sense if she took Kirei and Sasuke took Naruto, since they were the same gender, but, it actually made less sense with them being in love.

But before Hinata woke Naruto, or moved him, she let her eyes watch the two "younger" lovers, a soft smile on her face.

"Princess," Sasuke began softly, eyes just as soft as he gently shook her to wake her. "It's time to go to bed."

Nuzzling his chest, the blonde slowly began to wake, although she didn't open her eyes. She had this warm, happy feeling in her body and felt like she was on cloud nine. "But I'm already in bed." She whined, nuzzling once more, a smile coming onto her face.

That soft smile on Hinata's face turned more into a shocked smile, eyes watching as the Uchiha in front of her looked down to Kirei and then up to her. "You must be pretty damn comfy."

"Shut it." The raven snapped, eyes darting away from hers as a small – but noticeable – blush appeared on his cheeks.

Despite the urge to tease Sasuke as much as she wanted, she kept running her hands through her sleeping blonde's hair. "Why don't you take Kirei to bed first? I'll wake him a little after you get her to bed."

Sighing a quiet and heavy sigh, Sasuke thanked God. One, because it seemed that Hinata wasn't going to tease him and two, because Naruto hadn't heard it. He feared what Naruto would've done if he did. "Alright."

Keeping her blonde asleep, although it wasn't hard, Hinata watched Sasuke pick her up as gently as he could to not disturb her and carried her into the master bedroom with a slightly saddened look on his face. She didn't have to imagine that he was just a little upset that he couldn't spend more time with her.

But at least her little blonde was sleeping – and drunk – enough for them to have just a little more time together. Plus, it gave her a chance to spend some much missed time with her blonde.

* * *

Sasuke had a real dilemma on his hands as he watched his blonde sleep on her bed, he sitting next to her.

He knew, and respected, that he wasn't allowed to sleep with Kirei during this week of vacation. He'd accepted that by now.

But the fact of the matter was that his Princess was drunk. And even in sleep, drunks could never seem to stay on what they were sitting or lying on. They were just so limber, they couldn't stay on whatever they were on.

And this, was his dilemma. He couldn't leave his Princess's side, too afraid she'd roll over too far and fall off the bed – which wasn't a low drop. About 3 feet, to be exact. Even worse, if she rolled to her right and fell, she was liable to hit the dresser in between the beds and give her a nice head wound that could possibly kill her.

But if he stayed…and Naruto woke up in the morning to find him there, even though he was preventing her from getting hurt, he'd probably get bitched at and, possible, even have to fight.

"It's alright." Naruto slurred as he stumbled into the bedroom and held onto the doorframe for support. His eyelids were very low.

Slightly surprised, the raven turned, looking over at his friend. He creased his eyebrows. "What?"

Naruto nodded. "Go ahead." He leaned his head on the frame. "Take Nee-chan with you tonight."

Sasuke's mouth dropped open.

"Yeah," He began, closing his eyes as he stumbled into the room, hands reaching for his bed. "I know, I've been a major asshole to you. But I'm drunk as hell. And I want to sleep into the afternoon." He spoke with many slurs and without distractions, unlike usual.

"Okay." Sasuke spoke after a few seconds, a little dumbfounded.

"So, go ahead and spend the night together. It's not like I can stop you when we get back home anyway." With a reassuring nod, Naruto fell onto the bed, stomach down and not even bothering to change. He was going to sleep, damnit. Pajamas or no pajamas.

Waiting only a minute, staring at his blonde friend just to make sure he wasn't kidding, Sasuke suddenly smiled and turned back to his blonde. He shook her shoulder gently. "Princess."

It took a few minutes of gentle shaking, but Kirei awoke, her blue eyes searching for onyx eyes. "Hey…" She slurred, smile wide on her face.

"You're gonna come with me, okay?" He asked, keeping his voice soft and running a hand through her hair and smiling.

She shrugged her shoulders, letting her eyes close. "Okay."

* * *

Shutting the door behind him quietly with one hand, the other holding a clumsy Kirei around the waist to prevent her from falling, Sasuke smiled. He was finally, after nearly a week away, getting to spend the night with his beloved. With his Princess.

Slipping his other hand around her waist to help support her, since she wasn't walking very well, the raven walked behind her, gently pushing her along. "Ready for bed, Princess?" He asked into her ear.

She nodded. "Oh yes," She stumbled to her right. "I'm very sleepy…" Stopped by Sasuke's arm around her waist, she leaned to her left, nearly hitting the wall had Sasuke not caught her once more.

The raven sighed softly, wondering how someone could get so cute when they were wasted. "I know…that's why we're going to bed." He answered her, still speaking into her ear.

"I like bed." She answered, still stumbling along, at least, until her blurry sight caught the hallway bathroom. "Hinata!" She cried, eyes opening the largest since she'd gotten drunk.

Standing in the bathroom and brushing her hair before going to bed, the blue haired turned, seeing the two standing there, or rather, Sasuke standing and holding up a wobbly Kirei. "Hi, sweetie."

"You know," Kirei began, sloppily pointing her finger at the double image of Hinata. "I'm sleeping with Sasuke tonight." She stated.

Hinata nodded, fighting back her urge to chuckle, although, she did smile. "Yes, I can see that."

The blonde continued. "Which means Nii-san is all by himself." She spoke like a child, finger waving around.

Smiling because she was adorable, Sasuke shrugged his shoulders to Hinata, not knowing where his blonde was going with her words.

"You should go molest him."

For a few minutes, the hallway was dead silent.

"Okay," Sasuke began, not knowing how to react. Was this really Kirei? "Time for bed." Holding onto her, he swept her off her feet, picking her up bridal style. "Night, Hinata." If Kirei was suggesting that, when she got embarrassed just talking about sex, it was definitely time for bed.

Turning to herself in the mirror, the Hyuuga smiled to herself. "That," She began. "is not a bad idea." With a smile, she set the brush down, turned off the light, walked out of the bathroom and right into the master bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Sasuke on the other hand, gently set his Princess on the daybed, making sure to set her on the inside so that if she did roll, she wouldn't get passed him.

"I've missed you." He told her, letting her snuggle into the pillow he'd set her on near the corner of the bed before crawling next to her and laying his head on her shoulder. "A lot."

In spite of her state, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, both massaging the black hair she loved to feel between her fingertips. "I have too…"

Snuggling into her shoulder and taking a deep breath, he snaked his arms around her waist, securing her close to him and preventing her from rolling anywhere in her sleep. "I love you…" He mumbled, closing his heavy eyelids, feeling sleep drift over him.

Still smiling, she sighed, reaching down to the top of his head and planting a kiss on his locks. "Sleep well, my Prince…" She answered, allowing her head to fall back on the pillow behind her and her eyes shut in sleep.


	6. College

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _So. How is everyone? I'm pretty good, myself. I've had a good few weeks, even though there were some really rough spots. But that's life, isn't it? I don't have much of anything to say here, but I hope everyone's cool as ice out there! I'm always on the computer so if you have any questions or just want to talk, I'm here! :D Thanks for reading.

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 6 - College_

* * *

Her head in her hand, Kirei sighed a soft, but heavy sigh, her other hand falling into her lap, blue eyes darting away from the blank easel and to the glass doors of her studio.

Having been home from vacation for more than 2 weeks, Kirei had finally started painting again.

Or at least, trying to paint again.

She'd had all the time in the world to paint as much as she wanted, but every time she went into her studio to paint, she just couldn't find the motivation to do anything. All she seemed to do anymore was sit and look out those windows.

It just was that, she had nothing better to do. At all.

She had no job. She had no class to go to. She had no other friends to go out with. She could go to the film grounds, but they got very boring very quickly.

There really wasn't anything else to do, and for that, Kirei felt a little depressed and a little useless.

The only reason she was really known around Konoha was because she either looked like Naruto, was related to the Yondaime or Sasuke's girlfriend.

And although some might consider those good things, she did not want to be known as just "Naruto's Cousin", "The Yondaime's Niece" or "Sasuke's Girlfriend". She wanted to be known as who she was; Namikaze Kirei.

She sighed once more.

Maybe she was over thinking things. Maybe being at home all the time was where she was supposed to be…almost like a housewife.

This thought made Kirei shiver only slightly. A housewife? No, definitely not her. She wasn't one to just sit around the house all day and wait for her man to come home. She had to be doing something during the day. Had to do something that made her feel a little less useless to everyone.

With a slight smile on her face, Kirei decided something that would change her life in coming years.

She was going to go to college, get an education and then get a job.

Now that she thought about it, before Ramada had kidnapped her, that was what she had planned to do in the first place. It wasn't like she really needed the money, what with her cousin, brother and Uncle's ninja fortune, along with Sasuke's already rich family, ninja missions on top of that, but she couldn't just sit here any longer.

Kirei was going to go to college and get a job.

Now she just had to see what Sasuke thought about it.

* * *

Even before Sasuke opened the glass doors of the studio he had a smile on his face. Although it wasn't abnormal to have a smile on his face when arriving home from a day of filming, it had become normal as of the past two weeks.

It seemed to him that his blonde was a little depressed, even though he couldn't figure out why. Whenever he'd arrive home, no matter the time, she'd be sitting in front of her easel, blankly staring at the white canvas. She'd have the paintbrush in her hand, but never did she try to paint something.

It was starting to scare Sasuke, at least a little. He'd never seen her like that, not even when she arrived home from the fake Akatsuki. What scared Sasuke even more, was not knowing what to do to help her.

But to come home and see her furiously painting something made him smile and a sigh of relief come from his lips. With the smile still on his face, he opened the glass door, knowing it was unlocked, and stepped inside.

Despite being in her trance-like state when she painted, Kirei had gotten used to listening for the Uchiha's entrance after filming, and hearing him enter, she poked her head out from beyond the canvas and smiled. "Welcome home."

Shutting and locking the door behind him, the raven smiled and chuckled when he saw her.

She was smiling a happy smile, something he'd missed, and had paint on her face, in all different places.

"It's good to be home." He replied, pulling the curtains over the glass doors so that no one could see inside before walking over to her and crashing onto the couch next to her easel.

Picking up the remote to her stereo, Kirei turned down her music before continuing to paint and speaking with her beloved. "So how was filming today?" She asked, eyes glancing over to the raven to make sure he wasn't asleep.

His eyes met hers in that small glance, smirk set upon his lips. It really was nice to see her painting again, especially something so beautiful. "Boring, without you there." He answered, eyes watching her to see her reaction.

Her eyes darted over to his, smile growing on her face. "Well, it's just as boring without you here." Blue eyes returned to the canvas, analyzing it to remember what she had to do next.

Before the blonde continued speaking, she bit her lip, eyes diverting away from the canvas and away from Sasuke. She could already feel her heart beginning to race at the thought of mentioning college as she tried to take a deep breath to calm down.

It wasn't that hard for the Uchiha to notice the disturbance, seeing as how Kirei'd stopped painting, but decided it was best to say silent and let her speak.

Gathering up all her courage, she turned to face her beloved, setting her paintbrush aside. "I did some thinking today." She started, smile smaller, but still on her face. She refrained from looking into those onyx eyes until her next sentence. "And…I want to go to college."

Sasuke blinked, words registering in his mind. College? As in school? As in classes, books, teachers, homework? "No." He began nearly 3 minutes after silence. He wouldn't lose his Princess to school. Not when he almost lost her once. He couldn't lose her again. "I won't allow it."

Sitting on her stool, Kirei furrowed her brows, eyes looking into his with confusion and hurt. "But…" She began softly, blue eyes diverting to the floor, unable to look at his hardened look anymore. "But, Sasuke…"

He could see that he'd hurt her, although, his want to keep her with him was more than his guilt. "No, I won't let you go." He kept his glare soft, knowing she couldn't stand up to one of his stronger glares and stood up, intent on leaving and finishing this conversation.

She stood moments after him. "But that's not fair to me!" She retorted, staring at the back of her raven's head. "I want to – "

He stopped, but did not turn. "No, Kirei. You're not going to college. That's final." His words were sharper and harsher than they sounded in his head, but at least then maybe she'd get the point.

He waited a few seconds in the silence before walking towards the door again.

Watching him with now hardened eyes and still not understanding why, Kirei's heart hurt. It didn't seem like Sasuke to not hear her out, since he usually did when she proposed to do something, but because he didn't, it hurt. "I'm going to college." She said, loud enough for him to hear. She wanted him to hear it.

He stiffened, stopping dead in the studio, hearing her words. "Kirei…" He growled, balling his fists. Why couldn't she just agree with him and be done with it? Why did she have to fight him on the subject? "I told you no."

"You don't control me." She replied angrily, not caring when the Uchiha turned to face her. The glare he had didn't even bother her. "You don't own me, Sasuke. I can do what I want."

"No you will not!" He snarled, anger taking over his surprise at how she was acting. This wasn't like Kirei. Kirei never yelled. "I already told you that I won't allow you to go!" He yelled, voice slowly raising in level.

"And I'm not your dog! I can do what I want!" She yelled back, hurt and offended at how he was treating her. Acting like she was someone he owned, that he controlled. "And I'm going to go to college!" She screamed back, closing her eyes because she couldn't bear to see the glare in his eyes anymore.

"And I told you no!" He screamed, anger taking control as his eyes turned to red and he stepped toward her, arms extended, hands grabbing her by her arms, clenching tight and shaking her. Maybe then he'd get his point across. "I told you no damnit!!"

Despite having her eyes closed, Kirei could feel the Uchiha's grip on her arms and it made her eyes close tighter. He wasn't kidding around with this argument. He really didn't want her to go and it was apparent with how he currently made her cringe in pain. "Sasuke…" She mumbled, biting her lip gently to distract her from the pain in her arms.

He gripped tighter and shook her more, making sure to get his point across. "I'm not letting you go!!" Red eyes stared into the closed blue eyes of the blonde, not realizing that the look on her face was the face of pain.

Feeling a tingling, cold feeling in her hands, the blonde realized that he was gripping her so tight, he was cutting off her circulation. "You're hurting me…" She mumbled, feeling a few tears roll down her cheeks as she tried to hold them back.

As soon as Sasuke heard her words, although they were soft, his eyes reverted to black and his hands immediately let her go.

Kirei dropped to the ground with a thunk, her legs too shaken to support her. She couldn't feel her fingers, but at least she could see them moving when she looked through teary eyes.

Every fleck of anger in the raven's body dissipated in an instant as he stood there, staring at her in shock. He did the one thing he had promised to never do. Not even when he was angry.

He'd hurt Kirei.

Taking in a shaky breath as she rubbed her arms gently, blue eyes looked at her boyfriend's feet, knowing she couldn't look into those black eyes. She saw him kneel down slowly and extend his hand toward her.

She stared at the hand and moved backwards, shaking her head. No, she wouldn't go near him. Not if he was going to hurt her again.

Sasuke sighed softly and closed his eyes. He'd screwed up and screwed up good. "Kirei…" He said softly, keeping his hand extended.

Without a word or a glance, the blonde slowly got up on her own and ran past him, knowing she couldn't stay there. She couldn't stay with someone who'd hurt her. So she ran down the hallway and through the living room, right to the front door and went out, slamming it behind her and leaning against it, looking up into the sky.

Now that she wasn't staying at home tonight, where would she stay?

She couldn't go to Naruto; no, that was Sasuke's best friend. She couldn't split them apart when they'd just reformed their bond after vacation. That wouldn't be fair to Sasuke, even if he did hurt her. Plus, Naruto and Uncle Yondy had things more important to deal with than her.

She could go to Sakura, or even Ino…but she didn't really know them…and they might not understand. There was only one person who could help her and who'd understand.

With a sigh and a moment's rest, she ran off, heading in what she hoped, what she believed was the direction toward the Hyuuga Manor.

* * *

What Kirei didn't expect was that they Hyuuga Manor wasn't like the Uchiha or Hokage Manor. In all truth, it was more like a Hyuuga _**Compound**_.

Which meant there was more than one house.

The blonde set her throbbing arms on her burning legs and sighed. Hinata had to be in one of the houses. And even if she wasn't, someone could take her to Hinata. She hoped.

Still panting, she looked at each of the houses around her. There was one, lights actually on – meaning that someone was home – that was rather large and well kept. Maybe that meant someone higher in the family lived there. Who knew?

Panting a little less, Kirei shook her hands to try to get the feeling back and slowly walked up the porch and knocked on the door, hoping with all her heart that Hinata was the one who answered the door.

* * *

Neji sighed a soft and content sigh as he walked out of his room and to the doorway of his kitchen, turning his back to the room and looking into the barren living room. He really missed having a certain brunette's homework and books lying all over the room, making it seem like someone actually lived in the house.

But as of the moment, she was gone, off in Suna on an editorial convention or something or other.

Neji sighed again and looked at the clock on top of the tv on his right hand side. Nearly 8. Raiha should be in the hotel by now.

Still leaning on the doorframe, he reached his right arm behind him, to the wall of the kitchen and pulled the phone off its receiver, intent on dialing the hotel room number that his fiancée gave him the day before she left.

But as the Hyuuga began dialing the numbers, he was cut short by a bang at his door. He ruffed his eyebrows at it and set the phone back on its receiver. "That's odd…" He mumbled to himself.

It obviously wasn't Raiha, since she was days away, and it probably wasn't Kirei or Sasuke, seeing as how they were probably spending time together after that long vacation. It could possibly be another Hyuuga member, but why would they need him at this time of night?

Logically, there was only one person who could be here at this time of night, banging on the Hyuuga's door.

Clear eyes widened slightly.

"Oh god." He said, hoping to God it wasn't Naruto. He deliberated on answering.

The banging started again, this time louder and a little faster. He sighed and moved toward the door slowly, taking one last deep breath and one last prayer. "No Naruto…please…"

When he opened the door, he found a blonde, but not the blonde he was expecting.

"Kirei?" He asked, ruffling his eyebrows at the female, who was hunched over and panting.

She looked up, hands still on her knees, hair draping over her arms. "Hinata." She said shortly. "I need Hinata." She begged.

Strange. But Neji let her in, ushering her to the couch. He didn't know the blonde all that well, but even he could tell something was wrong. "Are you alright?" He asked, wondering why she was sitting that way.

Kirei sat like her arms were lethargic, the limbs tucked in between her legs, hair draped around her, almost like she were hiding her arms from him. Her eyes were on the ground. "I just want Hinata." She mumbled.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to tell, Neji activated his Byakugan and looked at her arms. He ruffled his eyebrows at the purple, hand like marks on her arms…as if someone had grabbed her and shook her. He reached out to touch her shoulder. "Do you want me to – "

"Don't touch me." She snarled, head snapping into the direction of his hand, eyes still on the ground. "Hinata."

He quickly retracted his hand. Obviously, something was wrong and it seemed only Hinata could solve it. "Okay, I'll call Hinata."

* * *

Snuggling into her seat, a nice hot bowl of popcorn squarely on her lap, Hinata smiled to herself.

She'd just gotten home from a date with Naruto – who couldn't spend the night, unfortunately – after a day a filming and was just sitting down to watch a movie.

It'd been perfect too, because she didn't feel like being around her friends, even though she loved them, and she felt like watching a movie. A night without doing anything strenuous was always a good night in Hinata's book.

But something went wrong.

The phone rang.

Grumbling and narrowing her eyes at the cordless phone on the coffee table only two feet away from her, Hinata set her bowl of warm popcorn aside and leaned over to grab the phone. Before answering, she looked at the caller ID.

She ruffled her eyebrows. Another Hyuuga was calling her? Who in the family needed her at this time of night?

Shrugging her shoulders, she pressed the Talk button and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" She asked, snappy tone warning whoever was on the other end.

Little did she know, the person on the other end didn't care. "Hinata," Neji answered, voice slightly worried, yet mostly monotonous. "You need to come over here."

She sighed an annoyed sigh. "Can't it wait, Neji?" She wanted to at least start her movie sometime tonight.

"No." He answered, looking at the girl currently shaking on his couch. "It's Kirei. She needs you." He informed.

Hinata blinked. What was Kirei doing at Neji's? Surely she was supposed to be at home, with Sasuke. Unless… "One second." Hanging up the phone, Hinata threw it to the other end of the couch and didn't waste any time getting to Neji's.

* * *

Before Neji could even hang up the phone, Hinata was there, her back towards him, looking at the blonde on the couch.

He stepped beside her and kept his voice low. "Byakugan," He whispered. "Look at her arms."

Hinata knew the moment she saw her – without the Byakugan – that something was definitely wrong. She wouldn't hide her arms for nothing. "Thanks." She did as he suggested, mouth opening in shock when she saw the blonde's arms.

Or rather, the bruises on the blonde's arms.

She rushed over to her friend's side, kneeling beside her and setting an arm on her back, rubbing gently. "Oh, sweetie…" She could feel the Namikaze crying, and could see it through the gaps in her hair.

"Hinata…" She sobbed pitifully, not moving her body. "I don't know what to do…" She said softly.

"Shhhh." She continued to rub. "Don't worry…We'll sort this out." She assured, keeping clear eyes on blue eyes.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Still wasting no time whatsoever, the blue haired turned to her cousin and nodded. "Thank you, Neji."

He nodded, a small smile on his face. "You're welcome."

Before Neji could blink, both girls were gone, allowing him to call his girl a nation away.

* * *

On the couch at Hinata's house, the blonde felt a little better – apparent in the fact that she now sat with her arms shown – but it wasn't much better. Her stomach was in knots, her mind racing with thoughts and she couldn't stop shaking.

Walking in from who knows where, Hinata held a glass of water in her hands and sat beside her friend, hoping she'd be able to calm her down enough to hear what happened even though she had a pretty good idea.

The bruises on Kirei's arms told the whole story.

"Honey," She began softly, sitting beside the blonde and holding the water in her hands. "I'm going to ask you a couple questions, okay?" Before finding out what happened, Hinata had to know how she felt now, to make sure she didn't need medical attention.

Kirei sniffled and nodded.

She smiled slightly. At least she was answering questions. "Can you feel your fingers?" She could easily see them moving, but just because they were moving didn't mean she could feel them.

"I couldn't at first," She mumbled, blue eyes set upon her fingers, watching them move. "but I kind of can now."

Sasuke grabbed her that hard? Hard enough to cut off circulation? "Anything else hurt?" She asked, still holding the water in her hands.

Kirei shook her head slowly, still watching her fingers. "My stomach's in knots."

Hinata wasn't surprised. "Why don't you tell me what happened?" She asked softly, leaning down to catch her sight. "It'll help."

Blue eyes glanced downward, her fingers now coming together to fiddle, despite the pain they felt. "Okay." She had a sinking feeling it wouldn't. "Umm…" She sighed, closing her eyes to remember where it'd all started.

"Take as much time as you need. I'll be right here." Hinata assured, rubbing the blonde's back again. She never, in a million years, would've thought that Sasuke would've hurt Kirei.

"I was painting when he came home." Kirei started, thinking back. "And I wanted to talk to him about something. About…" She winced slightly, remembering the Uchiha's reaction to her next words. "going to college."

Hinata ruffled her brows. Going to college? Is that what this was all about?

Opening her eyes, she looked to her friend, still explaining. "I told him and he flat out said no and it confused me because usually he lets me explain before making a descision. But he didn't." She spoke quickly and jittery, like she was nervous about talking about it.

The Hyuuga noticed this. She also noticed the blonde's eyes, and how they couldn't stay in one spot; they were in constant motion. Kirei couldn't keep still. "Go on, sweetie." Slowly, she was starting to see where this was going.

The Namikaze felt her stomach turn and a dry feeling her mouth. "He screamed at me…and told me he wasn't allowing me to go like he owned me or something and I started screaming back," Her eyes had fallen from Hinata's and to the floor, words flying out of her mouth. "and before I knew it, he had me by the arms and was shaking me…"

Hinata rubbed a little more frequently. She knew, the moment she saw Kirei, that the blonde was upset, but she didn't realize how upset.

Kirei's mind ran the scene over and over, and she couldn't stop it. She just kept seeing the scene over again; how he'd grabbed her, shook her and finally dropped her.

Hinata watched as the blonde's whole body stiffened and her face went pale. "Ki – "

Her hand went straight to her mouth. "Bathroom?" She asked quickly.

Setting the glass aside, the Hyuuga pulled Kirei up and led her down the hall and to the first door on the right. "It's okay, sweetie." She assured as the blonde collapsed in front of the toilet and spilled the contents of her stomach into the bowl.

It was obvious enough that Kirei's nerves had caused her to become like this; a shaking, jittery wreck.

Hinata pulled back the blonde's hair, using the hair tie on her wrist and braiding her hair back loosely so it wouldn't fall into the way. And just as she went to sit beside her, to try to calm her down, something down the hall began to buzz.

The Namikaze hadn't heard it, her thoughts elsewhere, but Hinata had. She knew what it was, too.

"I'll be right back, okay?" She asked, looking into blue eyes. "I'm just going to answer the phone."

The blonde nodded before retching again.

Taking her good old time, Hinata got up, walked out of the room, down the hall and to the couch, where, beside her cordless phone, was her cell phone. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID.

Sasuke was calling.

She flipped open the phone and set it next to her ear, opening her mouth to speak.

But before Hinata could get a word out, Sasuke beat her to it. "Hinata, please," He begged, voice full of worry. "Tell me she's with you."

Oddly enough, she felt annoyed with him and decided it wouldn't hurt too much to torture him. "Who?"

Sasuke sighed. "Hinata, I've called everyone. Naruto, Kiba, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Hidan, Kakuzu…Hell, I even called Sasori and Deidara in Suna thinking she'd go there! _**Please**_, tell me she's with you."

Closing her eyes, she sighed and told the Uchiha want he wanted to know. "She's here." She heard him sigh and mutter something. "She's puking her guts out, but she's here."

He didn't speak for a few moments. "Can you send her home?" He asked.

The Hyuuga frowned. Like that was going to happen. "I don't think she's well enough to travel. Plus," She could picture the scowl on his face at her words. "I don't want her to get hurt again."

"She told you." He growled in a low tone, like she wasn't _**supposed**_ to tell anyone.

"She didn't have to!" Hinata roared. "The bruises on her arms spoke loud and clear!!" She loved Sasuke. She really did. But hurting Kirei, hearing she was sick and then asking her to come home – without asking how she was – wasn't enough to save Sasuke. He was going to get the lecture of his life whether he liked it or not.

"Look Hinata," Sasuke began, his voice clearly showing he was annoyed. "I'm glad you're there with her, but I just want her home. I'll come get her if I have to."

"You can come over." She stated. "But you will not take her anywhere. She's staying here tonight and you will _**not**_ argue with me, Uchiha Sasuke." She spoke, her voice commanding.

Sasuke glared and stayed silent.

"Right now, Kirei is a mess. She's so nervous and upset over your little spat that she's puking her guts out and shaking like a shivering dog. I am keeping her here for the night to keep an eye on her and to allow the both of you to cool off." She informed.

"Hinata, I know I didn't do the right thing. I got upset and I hurt her. But it's best if I tell her I'm sorry and spend time with her." He said, genuinely sorry. He wasn't stupid. He knew he'd done wrong the moment he refused to listen to Kirei. He just didn't want to let her go…

She smiled slightly. "Yes, it is best if you tell her you're sorry. But, she'd probably have a heart attack if she had to go back to you tonight. She's scared of being hurt again, Sasuke." She told him, wondering what was going through his mind. "So I'm going to let her stay here and tomorrow, you're going to meet her at the film grounds and talk with her."

He didn't like it. Hurting Kirei and then being unable to say he was sorry until the day after. But he had to agree. Hinata wouldn't take anything less. "I'll let her speak first." Plus, Hinata could go to Naruto and then Sasuke'd have to explain to her flesh and blood about how he hurt her.

"You better." She told him. "And you're stupid if you think that I won't be there, watching. If you make so much as one move toward her, one yell at her, I swear to God Sasuke…I won't be afraid to use the Gentle Fist on you."

Sasuke knew now that Hinata wasn't joking with all of this. She wasn't before, but now, it had to be serious. Hinata never threatened people unless she really meant it. "I understand. But before you go…" His voice seemed to soften. "would you tell Kirei that I love her?"

She smiled and nodded. "I will. Cool down and get some sleep."

"Good night, Hinata." Closing the phone hesitantly, Sasuke looked up the stairs, wondering if it was even right to sleep in Kirei's bed. He decided it'd be better to sleep on the couch.

Hinata also closed her phone and set it on the couch as she walked back into the bathroom. "Feeling better?" She asked, seeing Kirei sitting on the floor.

She barely nodded. "A little…" Her eyes then darted to floor, wondering if the Hyuuga was truly serious about her staying the night.

"Don't worry, sweetie." Hinata said, knowing the blonde's thoughts. She walked over and sat beside the blonde. "You're staying here tonight."

She gave the blue haired a weak smile. "Can we go into the living room?" She asked softly.

Her reply was being helped onto her feet and walked down the hall, to the couch. "I was planning on watching a movie before all of this happened," She told the blonde as they sat down. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

She nodded. "Sure." She watched Hinata put the popcorn on the coffee table in front of them and take the remote into her hands to start the movie.

But even though the blonde's eyes were focused on the movie, her thoughts were not. She wasn't as worried as before, hearing Hinata's words and knowing they were true, but Kirei also knew a very important fact.

Hinata wouldn't always be able, or be there to solve her and Sasuke's problems. There had to be a time when Kirei wouldn't be scared or nervous to face Sasuke after a fight, because Hinata had a life to live too.

For now, she decided, she'd let it go. They were young and still had time to grow up. Not a lot, granted, but they had time.

And as of the moment, Kirei felt a little too tired to deal with it all. Her heart was still a bit jumpy and after doing so much physical activity when she never really did any at all, she was tired. "Can I use your lap?" She asked softly, not even paying attention to the movie.

Pulling the pillow away from the end of the couch, Hinata smiled and set the pillow on her lap, telling the blonde she was more than happy to let her.

Kirei smiled and rested her head on the soft pillow, thanking god that Hinata was there for her. If she hadn't been there tonight, she didn't know who'd she go to for help. "Thank you, Hinata…" She mumbled into the pillow, letting out a large yawn.

She smiled down at her friend, gently playing with her hair to help her get to sleep quicker. After the night she had, she needed sleep. "For what?" She really hadn't done much when she thought about it.

The blonde's eyes closed for the final time that night. "For everything…"

* * *

The Hyuuga sent her hands firmly, but gently onto small shoulders, her clear eyes looking into nervous blue eyes. "Don't worry, sweetie." She assured.

Kirei didn't seem all that assured. "But what if he – "

Clear eyes hardened. "He won't." Sighing, she took her hands away from her friend's shoulders. "I will be only a few feet away, hidden in the trees. I'll be able to see every move he makes and if he makes a move toward you, I'll intervene. You need to face him."

Kirei's eyes slowly fell from Hinata's gaze as she bit her lip. "I know…" She mumbled. "I'm just…nervous…"

"And that's why I'm here." She smiled and caught the blonde's sight. "He'll be here in a few minutes…All you have to do is explain why you want to go to college, okay? He'll stay quiet and listen until you finish." She explained, keeping eye contact.

That definitely reassured the blonde. At least this time around, he'd listen to her before flatly telling her no. "And then I have to listen to him."

Hinata nodded. "Yes. Then the two of you can compromise on something. You're both smart, you'll figure it out." She was confident on the fact.

For the first time all morning, Kirei gave her best friend a small smile. "Vacation and now this…Thank you so much, Hinata." Reaching out, she pulled her taller friend into a hug.

Hinata happily hugged back, finally hearing the blonde's tone cheer up, if only slightly. "Now, I'm gonna go conceal myself…but I won't be far."

Kirei nodded, finally starting to feel a little less nervous. "Okay." With one last smile, she watched the blue haired Hyuuga jump off into the nearby trees.

* * *

It wasn't long before Sasuke arrived at the film grounds, his onyx eyes finding his blonde within seconds of landing. It wasn't hard to miss her, after all. Her blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb against the greenery.

Slowly, he proceeded to walk toward her, eyes keeping her in view, but looking around to the trees, trying to find Hinata. It wasn't that he was hoping she wouldn't be there – although he couldn't sense her – it was quite the contrary. He wanted her to be there. Just in case.

He'd calmed down a lot over the sleepless night, and though about how he'd handled the situation all together – which was downright horrible. He owed Kirei an apology and maybe even a shopping day or something. Anything to be forgiven for hurting the person who meant the most to him.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to find Hinata without alerting Kirei or Hinata herself, Sasuke gave up on his search and returned his eyes to his beloved's. He stopped about a meter and a half away from her, almost guaranteeing he wouldn't be able to reach her and that Hinata could jump in at the right moment.

Their eyes locking, Kirei gulped, her nervousness flying right back into her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt dry and words seemed hard to form.

Sasuke stopped her anyway. "I know I told Hinata that I was going to let you speak first, and I am," He began, shoving his hands into his pockets and playing with the small frayed fabric on the inside. "but I wanted to tell you I'm sorry first." His eyes flickered away from hers, to the bruises on her arms for only a millisecond before returning.

Kirei shut her mouth and remained silent, not sure how to reply. She couldn't forgive him that easily, but what else could she say in reply? "Ummm…" She rolled her lips, trying to think of something to say.

"It's okay," He said softly, knowing her dilemma. "You don't have to forgive me. I wouldn't."

She closed her eyes and turned her head away slightly. "I want to forgive you." She said softly. "And I will. But only after I say the things I need to say."

Despite speaking softly, Sasuke knew she was serious. If that hadn't been obvious to him when this all started, he was definitely an idiot. But there was power and emotion behind her soft words and he could hear it. He stayed silent, watching and waiting for her to speak.

She took a moment to gather her words and then brought her eyes to his. "Sasuke, do you know what it's like, sitting at home all day? With nothing to do but wait for when your love comes home at who knows when?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. That thought had never crossed his mind. But why would it, when Kirei always seemed busy with her artwork or…schoolwork…

"It's not enough to say it's boring. And to be honest…I feel a little useless." She told him.

How bad he wanted to protest her words. She was anything but useless to him. To him. Maybe…he should start thinking more about her, than himself.

Unconsciously she used her hands to emphasize her words, eyes taking to the skies. "I mean, I had to go to Hinata just to calm down. If I hadn't gone to Hinata, I would've gone to Sakura or Naruto or Kiba…I couldn't do I myself." Her eyes landed with his. "Compared to all of you, who film, who do missions, who work with the city…I mean, what have I done that's so great? I'm useless to you guys."

He had to admit, when she explained it, she had a point. Only, she didn't realize that she helped to hold them all together; and help to keep him happy. But this wasn't about his happiness, it was about her happiness.

She continued, voice slowly growing louder as her confidence grew. She could see in his eyes, it was all starting to make more sense. "That's why I want to go to college. So that I can learn to do something. I can learn how to be independent and do things without needing help. We both know I can't run to Hinata all the time." She explained.

In a tree about 10 feet from the couple, Hinata smiled to herself and chuckled softly. She had to give her credit. Kirei had valid points that made more than enough sense.

Sasuke nodded, silently agreeing. He couldn't go through all of this again.

"I mean, if you go through town, like I have some days, I'm always, "the Yondaime's niece" or "Naruto's cousin" and recently, "Sasuke's girlfriend"."

He chuckled at the last one and got a small smile from her. It was good to see that lovely smile on her face.

"And as great as those titles are…" Her smile faded as her eyes drifted downward. "I don't want to be known as just "Yondaime's niece" and so on. I want to be known as Namikaze Kirei; who I am." She explained further, her voice still somewhat soft. "And to be known by something I've done. Not just because of who I'm related to, or who I'm friends with. That's why I want to go to college. So I can get an education and get a job and actually do something with my life other than paint."

The guilt was starting to seep into Sasuke's heart. If he had only listened to her beforehand, and realized how much going to college meant to her, maybe this would've turned out different. But he couldn't take back what he'd done.

He could only make up for it.

She sighed softly, grabbing her elbow gently and rubbing it to do something with her shaking hands. "We don't need the money, for sure. I mean, we both come from wealthy families and you make a lot of money…but that's not what it's about. I just want to do something with my life and I think going to college can help me with more than just that. I'd actually planned on it before Akatsuki happened." She finished.

"You did?" He asked softly after a few seconds.

She nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, I'd always wanted to go to college." It seemed to her that he was starting to understand her views. Maybe then he'd say yes.

Hearing all of it, Sasuke knew it meant a lot to Kirei, but just like she, he had his reasons as to why he didn't want her to go. Although…compared to hers, his seemed a lot more selfish.

His eyes first diverted downward and then closed. "All of those reasons make perfect sense, Kirei." He began, knowing his next words would sound so very selfish. "They really do…but I don't know if I can let you go…"

She sighed softly, in disappointment. But at least an "I don't know" was a little better than just a plan "no". Hope still remained.

Explaining this all to her seemed a little harder each time he spoke. "I want you to be happy. I hated coming home and seeing you not painting, not enjoying yourself. But you have to understand…I need you with me. I can't stand to be away from you for too long…or else…I start to become what I was before I met you and I don't want to be like that anymore."

Like he did before, she listened silently, knowing that words like this were not often spoken by the Uchiha.

"I really never realized all of this until Akatsuki happened, and I'm afraid to lose you again. I'm always busy with filming, but when I come home, you're there. If you're in college, you'll be at classes and busy with homework…and probably doing all these clubs and then even more classes." He explained, voice somewhat soft and quick, like he was upset. "And I'll never see you."

She sighed softly and smiled at him. She should've known better than to ask him to go to something that he didn't even know about.

Being a Ninja, Sasuke had probably never even thought about college. Or visited a campus. Or seen what it was like.

They were both at fault, she realized. She, for not knowing he might overreact to something unknown to him, something that scared him and he, for overreacting, not listening and for hurting her. But all of that could be cleared up so easily.

"Why are you smiling?" Sasuke asked, eyebrows ruffled when he saw the smile on Kirei's face. It didn't make sense to him. He was pouring his heart out over losing her in some way, and she was smiling at him.

Her voice was much sweeter, much more normal than before. "You've never been to a college campus before, have you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. The smile still remained.

He ruffled his eyebrows even more. "No."

"Sasuke," She began, grin wide on her face. "College is much different that High School. See, when I get classes, I'll only have maybe 3 classes a day."

His face relaxed, jaw dropping slightly. "Only 3?"

She nodded, still smiling. "And whenever I don't have class, you can visit me on campus whenever you'd like. You aren't losing me and you won't." She assured, seeing a smile start to form on his face.

The realization did not take very long for the Uchiha. He wasn't losing Kirei. In all truths, he'd get to see her even more, since she wouldn't be at home. She'd be in the city, on campus, which was a little closer to the film grounds and it wouldn't make a problem for him to visit her from time to time.

His eyes zoning back into focus, the raven's face turned solemn as he realized where his eyes had focused too. They'd focused right onto the spot he'd shied away from any time he'd looked at her; her arms.

He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Overreacting over something he knew nothing about to the point where he'd hurt the person who meant the most to him.

Without words, he closed the gap in between them, coming to stand within inches of his beloved.

Kirei knew that he wouldn't harm her again, but still felt her heartbeat increase and butterflies flit in her stomach. She couldn't help but feel a little apprehension, blue eyes looking up to black.

His eyes did not meet hers. They were examining the near purple bruises on her arms that he'd caused. Slowly as not to startle her, he raised his hand to her right arm and gently grazed his fingers against her skin.

As soon as she felt his warm but calloused hands against her skin, she flinched both in fear and in pain. Once bitten, twice shy.

He smiled sadly at her reaction, knowing he was the cause. "I'm so sorry, Princess."

Her eyes still closed, she closed those few inches between them and burrowed her face into his chest, missing how safe she felt with him. Plus, Hinata's spare bed smelt a lot different than her own bed. "I forgive you."

Smile growing wider, Sasuke wrapped his arms around his blonde, being careful to avoid her bruises and kissed the top of her head. "I'll make it up to you, I swear." He nuzzled the top of her head, missing how her hair smelt.

"Hinata's spare bed was kinda lumpy." Kirei randomly mumbled against his chest, smiling. She hoped he'd get the hint.

He smiled back. "Oh," He began, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "So you want to sleep?"

She nodded, smiling. How good it felt to be back in her Prince's arms.

He chuckled, feeling her nuzzle once more and grip his shirt. "Okay." He looked around to the area around him, wondering where Hinata was. "Good night, Hinata." With a poof of smoke, the two were gone, heading back home to rest and relax.

A smile took the Hyuuga's face as she also left, a light feeling in her heart. It felt good to help out those who she loved.


	7. Jealousy

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ I don't know about many of you, but my summer has been pretty good. I've gotten a good amount of things done for my next story, which if you check my profile you'll find out what it's about and it's not Naruto! GASP. Hahahah I'll probably have a few one shots here and there though. First thing is finishing this story! I've also been mucking around with the number of chapters, as well. Like The Actors, I had planned it to be only 20 chapters, but it turned out to be 25. This one may also end up being 25 unless an Idea for a trilogy is Suggested by you guys or thought of by me xD I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 7 – Jealousy_

* * *

"Ugh…I don't understand this…" Kirei mumbled to herself before sighing in aggravation and running her hands into her hair to massage her aching head.

It'd been nearly a month since the blonde had enrolled into Konoha University, thanks to her Uncle and her grades in High school. So far, everything had been great. She'd met a few new friends, who she went out with once in a while, liked most of her teachers and even got to see her raven more than before.

But this was not great.

Blue eyes stared at the homework she'd received from her last class, Trigonometry and Pre Calc. Usually, a student would've taken this class in high school, but Kirei was never good at math. It was the only class she'd failed during her time in school and, per a requirement of the University, was made to retake the class.

She had no choice but to pass. If she didn't, she wouldn't pass the semester, and that, she couldn't afford to do.

Since trig was her only class today, the blonde had decided to sit outside the massive school, hoping the fresh air and silence would help her to understand this useless – at least to her – math.

"Having difficulties?"

Hearing the familiar voice of one of her newest friends, she looked up, smiling. "Oh my god, yes."

Her eyes met the soft sea green eyes of Toshihiro, a junior in the University and a football player. He had short shaggy brown hair, a pair of books in his hands and a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Didn't I help you out just a few days ago?" He asked her, knowing the Namikaze somewhat well.

"Yeah," She said with a sigh, remembering how they'd met in the library and he'd offered to help her with trig. "But we learned this new stuff today and I don't understand it at all. Remember, I'm hopeless with math."

He nodded, remembering how hard it was to show her the first time around. Even though he was a math major, it was impossible to show her. "Yes, I do…but I've got a class in a few minutes, so maybe I can help you out after that?"

"Please?" She nearly begged, using that pout and big blue eyes that made even Sasuke break to her will.

He sighed softly, knowing he wouldn't last long with that rather cute look. "Alright, alright. I'll help you out." He said with a smile, fingering the books in his hand. "I'll meet you right here, okay?"

She nodded, happy that she was finally getting some help with her work. "I've got some English to do too, so I'll work on that for now. Thank you so very much, Toshi." She added the nickname. "I owe you."

"You'll think of something to pay me back. If not, oh well." He replied, nodding his head. "See ya later, Namikaze!" Running off, he waved to his newfound friend and headed toward his class.

He waited a few minutes before scowling and wondering why he had to be friends with the blonde.

Sighing in relief, Kirei leaned back against the tree, setting her trig book aside. She knew she couldn't go to any of her ninja friends for help – even with how smart they are – they only ever went up to geometry. And trig was so much more difficult than geometry.

But she was getting help. And it felt pretty damn good.

* * *

"So," The brunette began, sitting next to Kirei under the shade of the large tree. "I thought about how you can repay me for all of this tutoring," He continued as the blonde smiled and packed up her things since they had finished. "If you want to pay me back, of course."

She looked over at him. "Of course I do! This means a lot to me, so I have to pay you back for wasting all this time trying to show me stuff that doesn't make sense to me." She replied in a thankful tone.

He sighed. "Alright…well…" He looked away from her, blushing slightly. "I really admire your Uncle; the Hokage. I always have, since he got the position. That's kind of why I'm going into Math and Economics. So I can maybe get a job and help your Uncle."

When he looked over to the Namikaze, she had her head resting on her hand and was grinning a huge grin. "Go on."

He looked away again, this time, unable to look into those blue eyes. "And I was hoping that maybe, since you're his niece and all…You could…"

"I could ask for a meeting between the two of you?" She asked, knowing it'd probably be a few minutes before he got it out himself.

He nodded.

"It might be hard, because he's not always home sometimes and he's always busy…" She saw him tense slightly. "But, I'm sure that if we tutor at the Mansion sometimes, he's bound to show up."

Slowly, he panned over to her, mouth agape. Being invited into the _**Hokage**_ mansion?! What a steal!! "You're serious."

She nodded, chuckling slightly. "Dead serious."

His mouth remained open. "I don't know what to say."

"Keep tutoring me," She extended her hand for his to shake. "and we've got a deal. We can tutor at the Mansion whenever we want and I can finally pass a math class."

Unable to speak because of shock, he simply extended his hand and shook hers. "Thanks."

Turning her head, Kirei smiled when she found her raven standing just a few feet away, ready to pick her up and head home. "No problem. But I've gotta go, so I'll see you later!" Getting up, she nodded to her brunette friend and ran off to her boyfriend, not expecting him to pick her up as soon as she got close enough.

Toshihiro also stood up, watching how Kirei laughed and smiled when she met Sasuke, wondering how the two could even like each other. They were such opposites, but the smiles on their faces – and the kiss they shared – made it pretty obvious the two made it work. Knowing he might get to meet his Idol, he walked away with a smile on his face.

"And who was that?" Sasuke asked, a slight tone of jealousy in his voice as he watched the tall brunette walk away.

Still being held, Kirei locked eyes with her boyfriend and set her forehead on his. "He's my tutor." She answered.

He ruffled his eyebrows. "I can tutor you."

"In trigonometry and pre calculus?" She asked back skeptically, kissing the tip of his nose.

All thoughts seemed to leave his mind, seeing as how, despite being very smart, Sasuke knew nothing about math that was higher than Geometry. He looked at her with a defeated look and stayed silent. She'd won that argument.

At his silence, she continued. "Don't worry, Prince. You have nothing to be jealous about. I love you and only you."

He smiled and kissed her – although he wasn't completely assured – and set her back on her feet. "So does that mean we can disown Naruto?"

She laughed, grabbing the Uchiha's hand and leading him through the campus as she'd always done when they were together, no matter the place. "No, we cannot."

Picking up his pace slightly, Sasuke took the huge books from her free hand and kissed her neck. "I had to try." He shrugged his shoulders, shying away when she tried to take her books back.

Huffing playfully as she realized she wasn't going to get her books back, Kirei smiled and fell into step beside her love. "Well I'm carrying my books tomorrow."

"Not if I can help it." He replied, his free hand leaving hers and wrapping around her waist to pull her closer. "You're always tuckered out when we get home, so I'm carrying your books from now on."

"I never hear you complaining." She replied, knowing the Uchiha never minded her sleeping on him or taking her to bed. She glanced over at him, finding his eyes narrowed and a slight blush on his face.

"…so you're cute when you're tired." He mumbled, keeping his eyes from her.

She laughed, loving how cute he was sometimes. "What was that?" She asked, bumping him with her hip gently. "I didn't hear what you said."

Smirking, he gripped her waist and – avoiding her eyes – he kissed her temple, completely dropping the subject altogether. "I love you, Princess."

She sighed softly and snuggled into his shoulder, hoping that he knew where they were going, since she'd stopped leading a few moments ago. "I love you too, Prince."

* * *

"This place is huge." Toshihiro stated amazingly, mouth nearly agape as he stood within the living room of the Hokage Mansion.

Standing beside him, Kirei shrugged her shoulders, also examining the room because she hadn't been there in so long. "You get used to it." She said, looking over at him. "But right now, we're gonna stay in the living room."

"Tutor before tour, huh?" He asked, following her as she began walking into the large room.

She nodded, throwing her bag onto the chair near her and sitting down in front of the coffee table. "Yeah…" She set her books on said coffee table and looked up at him. "The place is kinda big…so I don't know when we'd get done with it. If that's okay."

Sitting beside her at the coffee table, he nodded. "It's totally cool." He assured, setting down his books as well. "Grades are a little bit more important than a tour."

Following suit of opening her books, she took out her notebooks and opened them, all while looking over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Just a little bit?" She asked jokingly.

"Yes." He confirmed, taking out a pencil and smiling at her. "Tours are way more important that silly grades."

She giggled, writing out the first problem on her notebook. "I wish."

Hearing that laugh of hers, the brunette tilted his head slightly. How annoyingly cute. "Alright, we'll get this done so you can actually pass. And then I get my tour."

She nodded, still smiling. "And then you get your tour."

"Thanks, Kirei." He told her, realizing that he'd had yet to thank her today for this.

"No," She shook her head, blue eyes soon meeting with green. "thank **_you_**."

* * *

"So wait," Toshihiro began, following that cute little blonde around the Mansion after hours of tutoring. "was that the 4th or 5th bathroom we passed?"

Kirei laughed, walking backwards along the upstairs hallway to make sure he saw everything he wanted to see. "You're keeping count?" She asked incredulously.

He nodded. "I want to remember _**every**_ detail." He said regally, as if he really did want to remember.

She laughed a little more and looked up, trying to remember how many bathrooms the upstairs had. "I think it was the 5th." She answered after a moment of thinking. "Or maybe the 6th."

He shook his head at the blonde, smiling. Despite only knowing her for a few weeks, it was obvious that Kirei was a very nice girl, along with being naturally cute. Now he saw how Sasuke loved her so much. He couldn't help but love her. "Okay, so what's next?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well…." She thought, turning around and walking forward before she tripped and embarrassed herself. "I think it's Uncle Yondy's office…" She took a good look at the last door, remembering that yes, that was her uncle's office. "But I don't think – "

"Uncle Yondy?" He cut her off, smiling at the nickname and tilting his head.

She turned her head slightly, to see him from her profile and nodded. "I've called him that since I was little." She told him, mind still working on her cut off statement. "But I don't think we're allowed in there."

He ruffled his eyebrows, eyes watching the door as it came closer to them. "Why not?" He had to see that room. He'd seen almost every other room in the house – other than the bedrooms of its residents – but this was just an office. Nothing dangerous or anything, so there seemed to be no reason to not go in.

Coming up to the door, Kirei stopped at it, setting her hand on the handle and testing it gently. "It's locked anyway." She lied. He didn't have to know it was unlocked.

"Are you sure?" He asked impatiently, standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. He really needed to get in that office.

She nodded, her heart increasing its pace slightly as she turned around. He was just a little too close to her for her own comfort. "Y-yes," She stuttered, eyes shifting to the floor as her mind flashed back to when she was nearly attacked at Akatsuki. "We can't go in there."

He sighed in annoyance, a scowl crossing his lips. He needed in there and this tiny little thing was not going to stop him. Reaching out, the tall brunette nearly set his hand upon the unlocked doorknob.

Until he was stopped by a small, cold hand. Kirei knew better than to deal with someone who she knew was stronger than her. But something in her heart told her they couldn't go in that room.

No matter what would happen, she wouldn't let him into that room.

* * *

Squirting some water into his face to try to cool down, Sasuke shook his head, getting rid of some of the excess water on his face as he threw his water bottle to the ground.

The day so far had been good. Filming was ahead of progress and it seemed that they'd end early today, which was a plus in his eyes.

Despite this very good news, Sasuke had this feeling – from somewhere – that something was off. He couldn't place what it was, but it was just odd. Strange. Different.

He wasn't sure how to describe it.

"Hey, dobe." He said flatly, emotionless black eyes looking at the blonde that sat in the shade.

The Uzumaki shielded his eyes from the sun when he looked up to the raven, mouth in a pout. "Must you call me that?" He asked, throwing a towel over the back of his neck to soak up some sweat.

Sasuke nodded, still emotionless as ever. "Of course." He plopped down beside the blonde, reveling in the cool shade of the large tree. "I have a question to ask."

To any other person – well, maybe not Hinata – that statement would've sounded as unemotional as the last. But not to Naruto. He could tell that his friend had something important on his mind. "Shoot."

Sasuke sighed first, gathering the words in his mind before opening his mouth. "Well…" He looked outward, watching the crew run around like chickens. "I have this bad feeling…but I can't place where it's coming from."

Naruto ruffled his eyebrows slightly, trying to think if he ever had a bad feeling like that. "Are you thinking about Nee-chan?" He asked, glancing over at the raven.

He thought. Ever since she'd gone into college he'd been thinking about her. Wondering if she was okay, if she'd gotten to her classes or even if she'd gotten home okay. He didn't have to worry about her so much when she was just at home, since she never really went out without friends.

Shrugging his shoulders, he nodded slightly. "Yeah…I get worried about her."

Naruto couldn't hold back a smile, but somehow held back the urge to tease Sasuke. "You know, when Hinata goes on missions…I only ever feel myself worrying when I think something bad is gonna happen." He said absentmindedly, remembering a few times when her missions took place.

Sasuke's head snapped toward the blonde in alarm. "And how many times has this feeling of yours been right?" He asked frantically. If he was having a bad feeling about Kirei, it could mean that she was in trouble.

Naruto blinked, unaware of the Uchiha's alarm. "Almost every time." He looked over to his friend and blinked at the shock on his face. "Why?"

Immediately, he stood up. "I think Kirei's in trouble."

* * *

Kirei's heart had never beaten so fast before. She was still in between Toshihiro and her Uncle's office door, but he was much closer than she'd let anyone before. Only Sasuke and Daisuke were allowed to stand or be so close as to touch her by just breathing.

But she wouldn't dare let him into that room. She knew better than that.

So there she was, pushed up against the door of the office, blue eyes boring into eyes that were slowly changing from green to black. "Step back." She commanded, keeping her body stiff and eyes hard.

Toshihiro writhed his lip slightly, obviously upset that he wasn't getting what he wanted as easily as he thought he would. "Get out of my way." He snarled, setting his right hand on the side of the blonde's head.

She stiffened, but didn't move. "I'm not moving." She replied, eyes noticing something although they didn't waver from his.

Toshihiro's brown shaggy hair was slowly growing and turning a silver-lavender type color.

His face contorted into anger, eyebrows creasing. "Get out of my way!" He removed both hands from the door, intent on pushing the annoying girl out of his way before something stopped him.

There was a poof of smoke about 2 feet to the left of him. And another one appeared seconds later, beside the first.

"What the fuck?!" Naruto exclaimed, blue eyes looking over his cousin's predicament. And he did not like what he saw.

The raven needed no words. His murderous glare and aura said all he needed to say.

Toshihiro's head snapped toward the two as soon as he'd arrived, his somewhat black eyes returning to green and hair returning to brown. Hopefully his cover hadn't been blown.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" Naruto exclaimed once more, stomping over to the two, grabbing whoever he was by the collar and wrenching him back and off his cousin. He then placed himself in between the two; blue eyes glaring daggers into sea green eyes, hand holding onto the collar of his shirt just in case.

Without words, Sasuke's killer aura still very present, he kept his eyes on Kirei, walking over to her calmly and wrapping her in his arms. He knew that she had been shaken up, since she was quivering slightly as he held her. "It's okay, we're here now." He whispered into her hair, coal black eyes glaring over to her "tutor".

Getting no answer for the second time, Naruto shook the student forcefully. "Answer me!" He roared angrily. "What's going on here?!" No one was allowed that close to Kirei without her permission and he would be damn sure it was upheld.

The brunette blinked, obviously shaken up from being nearly pulled off his feet and from the intense anger he was receiving. "I'm sorry!" He started off, unsure of what else to say. "I-it's just that your dad is one of my Idols and I wanted to see where he worked, you know? How he does what he does." He explained quickly, not so afraid of the Uzumaki.

He was more scared of the Uchiha glaring with Sharingan behind him.

Naruto shook him once more. "That doesn't cover it." He growled in a low voice.

"Let him go, Nii-san." Kirei's quiet voice spoke from Sasuke's chest. "I know he was just excited…so just drop it. Please."

Keeping his grip tight, he turned to look at his cousin, examining her burrowed head. He was still fuming, but it was apparent that she wanted to drop it. "Alright." He relented, reaching out his other hand and tousling her hair. "But," He turned to Toshihiro, who was still under his grip. "I will not ever allow you here again without supervision. Do you understand?"

Toshihiro nodded, grimacing inward. It was going to be a lot harder to get into that office with someone else watching his every move. "Yes."

Before dropping him, sky blue eyes looked over the face of the brunette, making sure he wasn't lying. Deciding that he wasn't, he dropped the student. "I'll show you out." He growled, making it more of a command than anything.

Without a word of good-bye, or even a look to his newfound friend, Toshihiro left the Manor, books and all, followed by a very upset blonde who watched his every move and even waited a few minutes before returning inside.

Sasuke remained with his Princess, holding her tightly as she slowly began to calm down. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner." He told her, mind wondering how it would've been if he hadn't show up at all.

Closing his eyes at the thoughts running through his mind, he reassured something like that would never happen by gripping her just a little tighter and burrowing his nose into her hair.

"I'm just glad you got here." Kirei mumbled, snuggling into his chest and taking a very large deep breath. She didn't know how he knew that she was in danger, but she was damn glad he did.

"I'm glad too." Gently, he kissed the top of her forehead, and hearing that deep breath of hers, smiled. She really did love how he smelled, didn't she? "But…"

"Nee-chan." Naruto said softly, standing a few feet away from them at the top of the steps.

Taking only a step from her raven, Kirei turned to look at her cousin, one hand still holding onto his shirt. Her smiled slowly faded, grip slowly releasing as she saw the serious look on his face. "…Nii-san?"

His eyes weren't hard, nor were they happy. He wasn't smiling, nor scowling. "We need to have a talk."

Slowly, the blonde panned from her cousin to her beloved, who shared the same look, although his eyes were softer. But why were they so serious, she wondered. She'd been attacked like this before and nothing had happened. They'd been there to save her. That was it…wasn't it?

"Don't worry, Princess." The raven assured her, taking her hand off of his shirt and grasping it with his. "It's just…" His eyes flickered to Naruto's and then back to hers. "we want to talk to you."

With a small nod, Kirei waited until her cousin turned and walked down the stairs to follow, her hand still connected with Sasuke's, assuring her everything would be okay.

* * *

Moments later, all three were downstairs in the living room, Kirei sitting on the couch, Sasuke beside her and Naruto standing beyond the coffee table.

Deep blue eyes watched how her cousin paced back and forth, his eyes closed. It wasn't hard to tell that he was in deep thought, and that didn't worry her. What worried her more was about what he was going to say. "Nii-san – "

Stopping, he put up his hand, palm facing her. "Kirei,"

She blinked, thoughts braking to a complete halt as her body stiffened just slightly. He definitely was not joking around if he was using her name.

Keeping his eyes closed, he turned to face her. "I'm not going to yell at you. I just want to say a few things first." His voice was soft and calm, knowing that if he started blasting off like he usually did, things wouldn't end well.

The younger blonde relaxed a little bit, her heartbeat slowing down a few beats. "Okay." She said softly, feeling a hand slip into hers and lace her fingers with his. "I'm listening."

He sighed before opening his eyes. "I'm really happy that you're doing what you want to, Nee-chan. Going to college and getting an education is a great thing, especially because you're talented in so many things and that you're smart."

A smile broke across Kirei's face as she heard her cousin. It was so very nice to hear approvals from her loved ones, even when she knew they'd accept her for whoever she was. Just knowing that they loved who she was now, who she loved to be, was such a good thing.

"But…" He continued. "There is one thing you're not good with, Nee-chan."

Her smile wavered.

Knowing that Naruto probably didn't want to say everything himself, and that Kirei might listen to him just a little better, Sasuke continued his friend's line of thoughts. "You're too naïve, Kirei."

Blue eyes found their way to black, blinking in a bit of confusion. "I'm not naïve." She denied, looking back between the two of them, who didn't seem to believe this statement.

She could make decisions, and make them well. She knew what was right and wrong, what was good and bad. She knew when she could act like a child and when she couldn't. She knew when to be grown up and when not to be. And with knowing all of this, how could she be naïve?

"It's not that you aren't smart, Nee-chan." Naruto explained, understanding that she was confused. "It's just that…well…you're naïve about some things."

"Like what?" She asked, ruffling her eyebrows at her cousin.

"Princess, do you remember when we first started dating?" Sasuke decided to take over for Naruto, realizing that this would be a very good example.

Her eyebrows remained ruffled, but her eyes slid over to his. "Yeah," She nodded. "But what does that have to do with this?"

He smiled slightly, remembering their first days together. "You were so innocent back then. Not like you still aren't now…but back then, you wouldn't let me kiss you. You were afraid to be touched, even in the slightest manner." He explained. "You yourself said that you didn't know how to act in a relationship. You were naïve about relationships."

Her lips parted slightly. She saw where he was going with this.

"You're great with friendships. But you're inexperienced on how to deal with guys in a way that states that you're just their friend." He told her, keeping his voice level and eyes straight with hers.

Blonde's eyebrows relaxed slightly, understanding just a little bit more.

"We just think that maybe you're becoming friends with this…"

"Toshihiro." She substituted.

"Toshihiro…a little too fast." The blonde continued with her substitution. "I mean, you've only known him for a couple weeks and you're inviting him into the Manor without anyone else around? That's not a good thing, Nee-chan." He shook his head.

"But you never said anything to me when I was with Sasuke that first few days I was here!" She retorted, voice raising slightly.

He nodded, agreeing to the statement. "Yes, but I know Sasuke." He said, voice still calm. "He's been my best friend for…well, forever. I knew he wouldn't do anything to you; I didn't have to worry so much because I know him. I don't know this Toshihiro guy at all."

"And neither do I." Sasuke added.

Once confused, but now understanding blue eyes darted downward to the floor. That made perfect sense. Naruto knew Sasuke a hell of a lot better than she did – at the time. He knew nothing would happen to her. He could trust Sasuke.

But he didn't know Toshihiro, and now thinking, she didn't either. She didn't know where he lived, where he grew up, or really…anything about him. She only knew that he was good at math and was doing her a favor by tutoring her.

"I know you meant well, Nee-chan." Naruto smiled at her, knowing this probably wasn't easy for her to hear. Walking over, he sat beside her, rubbing her back gently. "I know you were just repaying the favor."

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor. "Yeah."

"But there's something else you need to know too." He leaned forward, trying to catch her sight.

This time, Sasuke looked over at him, wondering where he was going with this. Sure, Kirei knew she had to slow things down a little bit and watch herself when it came to going places with guys they didn't know, but wasn't that all they were talking to her about?

"What's that?" She asked, bringing her sight to his finally.

He pulled her into a tight hug, smiling. "I am so very happy that you didn't let him into that office."

She smiled, happy to hear that maybe she'd done something right, but it was a confused smile. "It was just an instinct, Nii-san…" She shook her head slightly, as if it wasn't all that important.

But, in reality, it was. "Kirei, do you know what's in that office?" He asked her, pointing to said room.

"Uncle Yondy's work stuff?" She replied hopelessly, shrugging her shoulders.

He chuckled slightly, nodding slightly. "Well yes…but," His smile turned more serious, as did his eyes. "everything about Konoha is in there. Every little detail, every mission, every secret."

"Everything that an enemy could want." Sasuke stated, eyes widening slightly in surprise. Wouldn't things like that be kept in the Hokage Building's office?

Naruto nodded. "Yes. We keep it here to deceive enemies. They all think it'd be in the Hokage Building. But it's not." He explained with a smile. "See, Nee-chan, in that office lays so many important things. Things that could potentially bring about the downfall of Konoha."

She looked from the office door to her cousin, pulling some hair behind her ear. "I didn't know that. I thought it was just an office."

"I know you did." He answered her, still smiling his trademark smile. "But I'm glad you were able to realize, even without knowing that fact, that you couldn't let him in there."

She smiled back, proud of herself for doing something right without realizing she had.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he leaned against her, setting his head on hers. "From now on, though…make sure someone's around when you're with him, okay?" He asked, eyes glancing to hers. "I'm thankful he's helping you, but that doesn't mean I trust him yet."

"Me neither." Sasuke added, agreeing with Naruto completely. He wouldn't trust this guy until he got to know him.

Plus, the raven had a few other reasons to be suspicious of this "Toshihiro". Naruto's eyes may not have caught it, but his fast paced eyes had seen the half transformation that Toshihiro was going through.

He knew, that second he saw it, even though he was clouded in smoke, that that was a transformation jutsu. And that only meant one thing.

Toshihiro was not Toshihiro at all.

Kirei nodded, looking to both boys. "I promise that I won't invite him over unless someone is where we're going, loft or manor." She answered, smiling the whole time.

Naruto inwardly sighed a sigh of relief. He could rest assured that Kirei wasn't going to be kidnapped, or anything of the sort again. He'd do everything he could to prevent it. "Thanks, Nee-chan." He squeezed her shoulders before letting her go and ruffling her hair.

Smiling, the blonde did what she'd always done, cringed slightly under the pressure of his hand and giggled. "You're welcome, Nii-san!" That smile grew when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, and a pair of lips on her neck.

"What do you say," He spoke softly, smiling as he kissed her neck, loving to hear her giggle. "about heading home and painting a little?" He poked her side to get another giggle out of her.

She sighed happily, giggling as his bangs tickled her neck. "As long as you're painting with me." She answered, unable to hold back her laughter as Naruto watched them.

Sasuke thought, keeping his mouth on her skin, loving how she smelt. "…Okay."

Naruto laughed before either one could speak, directing their attention to him.

Sasuke removed his face from her neck, grimacing slightly. He hated to be laughed at. "What are you laughing about?" He asked, anger displayed in his tone.

Continuing to laugh, the blonde took a breath to calm himself down. "I never thought I'd lived to see the day."

Kirei tilted her head. "What day, Nii-san?"

"The day Sasuke became whipped!" He laughed, closing his eyes tightly and doubling over slightly.

"I am not whipped." The Uchiha replied, hastily and angrily.

Naruto laughed. "Nee-chan, Nee-chan, ask him to make me some ramen!!" He exclaimed, looking at his sister with bright eyes and a large smile.

Suppressing her giggles as best she could – although she wasn't doing well – the blonde looked over to her raven, pushing some of her bangs behind her ear to see him better. "I'll grab my books."

He sighed in relief. "You read my mind." He said, releasing her as Naruto continued on.

"Please, Nee-chan!" He cried. "Make him do my laundry! Or my scenes in the show!"

For the most part, Kirei ignored her cousin, giggling here and there. Naruto was just too funny to not laugh at. "I'm ready." She told Sasuke, holding her books in her hands and smiling.

"See ya later, dobe." He mumbled, lifting his Princess all the way off her feet, smiled when he heard that scream in surprise, and teleported off, heading home for the rest of the day.

Filming and school were a lot less important to him when compared to his Princess.

* * *

Sighing softly, a silver haired man sat down at the small two-person table outside his favorite café, setting his hot coffee on the table before pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Damn glasses…" He mumbled, pouring some sweetener into the hot liquid.

It was a good thing it'd been so many years since he'd visit Konoha, or else someone might have recognized him, and that, in no way was a good thing. He'd already been exiled from Konoha and if someone found out he – or his boss – was in town, they'd be killed on the spot.

"You really should get contacts, Kabuto." A very sly, feminine voice spoke.

Kabuto didn't even look up as his boss sat down across from him, obviously disguised as a normal civilian of Konoha. "They bother my eyes." He answered flatly, stirring the liquid with a straw he'd picked up.

Orochimaru smiled his snake like smile, setting his elbows on the table to get a little closer, that way no one could hear their conversation. "Did you get into the office?"

Black eyes looked up into what would be yellow, but were green. "No." He shook his head, taking the cup into his and sipping the coffee. He didn't want to burn his tongue. "I was about to, but that damn blonde blocked my way. I was going to just push her out of the way, but that damn Uchiha and the idiot Uzumaki showed up." He informed.

The snake man smiled at the Uchiha's name, remembering how well the raven took torture. Just the thought of those black eyes glaring at him made him smile and shiver. "I see." He grumbled. Despite the loveliness of torturing the Uchiha, he was a true pain in the ass.

"And," Kabuto continued, voice low and monotonous. "they aren't allowing me back into the house unless someone else is there with her and I."

Green eyes widened slightly. "Repeat." He commanded.

Taking another sip, he sighed afterward. "They won't let me into the house or with her at all unless there is someone there with her." He elaborated, wondering what was on his boss's mind.

It took a moment, but the smile on Orochimaru's face and that devious look in his eyes made it perfectly clear.

"So they care very much for the little blonde." He stated, voice gaining and evil tone of joy. "If I remember correctly, Sasuke-kun seemed to like her very much."

Kabuto sighed again. What did he care for the girl? She was truly horrible with math and was annoying happy and cute. "Apparently."

With this little piece of information, Orochimaru stood up, nodding to his accomplice. "Continue your work."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto answered, nodding and finishing his coffee as his boss walked away, melding into the crowd beyond like a snake in the forest foliage.

How he dreaded the next day, since he'd have to tutor that girl…Kirei, was it? And acting as Toshihiro…wow, did he want to just shoot himself in the foot. It would've been more fun than acting and dealing with that thing.

But what he couldn't understand was that smile on his boss's face when he heard that last statement of his. So the two of them cared for her…of course they did. She was the girlfriend of one and the cousin of the other.

So then why did he smile?

Getting up as the sun began to set, Kabuto finished up his coffee with a large gulp and threw the cup into the trash. He pushed his hands into his pockets, walking toward the apartment he called home for the last few weeks.

He thought as he walked, still wondering why Orochimaru had him repeat that tidbit. They cared for her. They wanted to keep her safe from him, because they didn't trust him. They wanted to keep her safe…

Kabuto stopped in his tracks as the realization hit him.

That girl was their weakness. They cared for her so much, they'd do anything to protect her…and that helped with their plan.

A smirk set itself across the lips of the silver haired man as he continued to walk, knowing that soon, that little blonde would be a great help to them.

No matter how annoying she was.


	8. Again

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _I am actually on vacation right now at a beautiful beach, but I have finally gotten around to writing down the rest of the plot and decided what I'm doing with it. This will be the last "The Actors" Spinoff. It will be 25 chapters long :D I want to upload another chapter sometime later this week, but I'm not sure when. I will be going back to school next monday, so expect slower uploading (as if it's not slow enough) xD Enjoy this chapter, it's oen of my favorites~!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 8 – Again_

* * *

The red, yellow, orange and golden colored leaves crinkled under her feet with every step she took. The air wasn't cold, but was brisk, making a nice warm Uchiha jacket very nice to steal in the mornings. The animals around were scurrying, trying their best to find nuts and berries to save for the coming winter.

Fall had reached the forest land of Konoha.

And Kirei was reveling in every moment of it, walking along the campus grounds.

To anyone, fall was a beautiful season, where the leaves turned to colors that appealed greatly to the eye and the brisk weather made snuggling up to a loved one a much needed and lovely thing.

But to an artist, fall was almost like having too much sugar. Her eyes had always been trained to see the artistic side of things, where she could point out the details, the anatomy, the color, the shapes, everything. During fall, she could see every color within the forest line and was always inspired to paint something new. Sometimes, she even worked outside.

Fall was her favorite season, tied with spring. Summer was nice, but it was a little too hot, especially in Konoha. The same was with winter, although it was too cold for someone as tiny as she.

She couldn't wait to get home and nearly isolate herself into her studio and make a lovely little painting, or maybe even make a mural on the wall…

A smile took the blonde's lips as she walked along, careful to avoid running into someone and yet, keeping an eye on everything going on around her.

It had been a while since the accident with Toshihiro, and since then, he'd only been tutoring her on campus. He did ask about her Uncle occasionally, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was only one other incident to mention, in which he saved her from one of the bulls loaned to the school, but there was nothing other than that.

Otherwise, life had been great. School was going well – she was actually passing her math class -, filming was going well from what she heard and, life in general was pretty damn good.

Sasuke was another reason life was good, but he was always a reason. He would always make her happy and make her smile. Even seeing a raven sitting on the telephone wires made her think of her beloved, and in turn, made her smile.

Walking on complete air, Kirei was jerked from her thoughts and jumped when her phone began to buzz in her pocket.

She stopped dead in her tracks, taking only a second to realize that it was her phone and not something else. Continuing to walk along, her books in one hand, the other reaching into her pocket, grabbing her phone and flipping it open. "Hello?" She asked, almost expecting it to be her raven calling her.

He called almost every day to hear her voice, as he always told her.

"Hello there, Kirei." A voice she wasn't expecting – but was happy to hear – answered.

Immediately, the familiar grin that ran in the Namikaze line took her face. "Uncle Yondy!!" She squealed happily, nearly dropping her books in surprise.

Her squeal was met with a chuckle, the Yondaime also smiling. "Do you have any classes left?" He asked, voice calm and warm like always.

"Yeah," She answered, nodding her head slightly. "It's in about 10 minutes and lasts about half an hour." She informed, taking a right down the path to the English Building.

"Would you mind stopping by afterward?" He asked, gently blowing on the ramen in front of him on his desk. It was the first meal he'd had all day, and hopefully, he'd get to eat it before he drooled in it.

"The Manor or the Hokage office?" She asked back, knowing that he frequented both places. If he wasn't at one, he was at the other. If he wasn't at either, he was at home, sleeping.

"The Manor." He answered her, swirling the ramen as his stomach growled. "I'm working from home today."

"So you can get to sleep earlier?" She teased, smile growing wider, if at all possible. "But sure, I'll stop by. Any reason in particular?"

He shook his head, eyes closing momentarily. "Now, now, I need a reason to see my niece?" He replied, knowing it'd make her laugh.

She did laugh, shaking her head at her Uncle. "I guess not…but I've got to go, so I'll see you in about an hour. Bye, Uncle Yondy!"

"Good bye, Kirei!" He replied, closing his phone and clapping his hands together happily. He was ahead on missions, he got to eat ramen and was going to see his beloved niece, all in one, wonderful day.

Closing her phone and putting it back into her pocket, Kirei walked along the path with a smile, seeing the English Building coming into view. It wasn't all the time she got to see her Uncle and she couldn't wait until the end of her class.

Only an hour. She only had to wait an hour before going to see him.

* * *

Despite how slow that hour had gone by, it had come and gone, leaving Kirei free to take the trip down to see her beloved Uncle.

She knew it wouldn't take long, seeing as how the Manor wasn't too far from the campus, and as she arrived nearly 10 minutes after leaving the campus, she felt as if something was off.

She had noticed that it had become quite cloudy out, although the weather report had said nothing about clouds. "Goes to show what they know…" She mumbled, reaching into her bag and pulling out her house keys, one of them for the manor.

The weather was definitely odd, but what was odder was the Manor itself. Anytime she had come before, or even passed her old home, the lights were always on. Even if it was just one light in the living room, when no one was home, there was a light on.

But now, as she looked upon the large mansion, walking up to it slowly, there were no lights on.

Slowing her pace even more, she looked around cautiously, trying to see if anything was out of place. She may not have been a Ninja, but she could tell when something was dangerous.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary – other than the lights being off – the blonde proceeded to go up to the door and unlock it, keeping her senses alert. Her fast beating heart and feeling in her gut told her that something, although she didn't know what, was wrong.

* * *

Walking into the large manor after unlocking the door, Kirei didn't bother taking off her shoes, but set her bag and her books on the table in the kitchen, trying to remain silent so that she could hear something if she needed to.

Thankfully, she did hear something. It sounded like a sharp gasp of pain, coming from the top of the stairs.

Flipping on the light of the kitchen, she walked out of the room, into the living room and before ascending the stairs, set her hand on the rail, peering up to the landing. Her heart and gut told her, warned her, that something was wrong. She could feel it. But her brain told her to go.

And she went, slowly, up the stairs, looking into the darkness.

Not even halfway up, her blue eyes caught something lying on the floor. Whatever it was, it was moving slightly, going up and down slowly…obviously wearing white and had…blonde hair?

"Uncle Minato!" Kirei cried, running up the stairs by twos and falling to his side, knowing her Uncle anywhere. Pulling some loose hair behind her ear, she frantically looked him over, wondering why his breathing was so shallow. "Uncle Minato!!" She cried, shaking him gently.

He seemed startled by the touch, blue eyes opening only slightly to see what had touched him. "…Kirei…" He whispered, hand shaking as it moved to hers. "…run…"

Creasing her eyebrows, the blonde grabbed his hand and clenched it, leaning down to hear him better. "What?"

"Well, well…" A monotonous voice began from the shadows of the hallway. "what have we here?"

"It seems a little blonde mouse has strayed from her burrow." A silky voice joined, also from the shadows.

Kirei's head jerked to the hallway, blue eyes trying to peer into the darkness to see. "Who's there?" She asked, her heartbeat racing.

"…please…" The Hokage continued, voice not above a whisper. "run…"

The blonde clenched her Uncle's hand tighter, feeling the coldness and the weakened grip it had. "Who's there?" She repeated, nostrils flaring slightly, still peering into the darkness, her voice much more commanding. She couldn't seem scared, whoever was there.

"What a brave little mouse we have." The silkier voice of the two said as the owner stepped toward the two Namikaze's, allowing part of his face to be seen.

Her breathing stopped, a gasp caught in her mouth. She knew those yellow, snake like eyes anywhere. "Orochimaru." She mumbled. "And Kabuto." She looked to the other person, knowing it was him.

They may not have sensed it, or they had, she wasn't sure, but her heart was beating out of her chest, eyes wide. If it had been some Cloud Ninja, or some Grass Ninja, she might've not been scared, but it was these two. Two Ninja's outlawed for what they did.

Two Ninja's she didn't stand a chance against.

A sly smirk slipped across the Sanin's face. "So you remember me. I'm honored that you remember it after so long." He said, voice faking happiness.

"And you must remember me." Kabuto began, stepping out, further into light. But the Kabuto she knew wasn't there. "Toshihiro, remember?" His voice was evil, pure evil, as one Toshihiro stood in front of her.

The blonde's mouth split open, mind not taking long to connect the dots. "You're Toshihiro."

Orochimaru smiled, looking at his assistant. "What a smart one we have here."

Pulling some hair behind her ear nervously, Kirei thought about what she could do. She couldn't teleport her Uncle, or call her Nii-san or Sasuke because the minute she got out her phone, they'd snatch it right out of her hand…and she couldn't truly defend herself. She didn't know how.

But she had to try. For the sake of her Uncle, who was somehow hurt and for herself.

So, with her blue eyes wide in the darkness, cautious looking at the two to make sure they couldn't see, she slipped her free hand down between her knees. She knew that her Uncle kept at least a few Kunai on him at all times, and thankfully, her knee had landed on one of the handles, making it possible for her to grab at just the right moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as calmly as she could, distracting the two from her moving hand. "What did you do to my Uncle?"

"You shouldn't butt in on other peoples' business." Kabuto said, his transformation reversing as he reached for the Shuriken in his holster.

Before he could actually touch the star knives, he was stopped, a pale hand extending out in front of him. "She's no threat to us, dear Kabuto…let's have some fun with her." He said quietly, snake like eyes glancing to black eyes.

Kabuto remained silent, nodding once and stepping backward. He never did like to toy with people. That was Orochimaru's gig.

Lifting her knee only slightly, Kirei's fingertips grazed the edge of the round Kunai handle, her eyes still on Orochimaru.

He returned his yellow eyes to her, snake like smile widening. "You see, my dear Kirei-chan…I've poisoned your Uncle." He stated happily. "Without treatment, he'll die within a few hours."

Her hand stopped, eyes pulling away from the Sannin and meeting her Uncle's.

He cringed for only a moment, eyes still watching his niece, although everything was a blur. "…get…away…from…" He mumbled, still trying to keep her hand in his. He knew why Orochimaru was there. He knew why he was lying here on the ground, poisoned. But he didn't know what Orochimaru would do now that she was there. And with himself unable to protect her…

"And you…" He continued, oddly amused by all that had transpired, stepping closer to the two blondes. "are just a little mouse who strayed too far from her burrow." With each word, his voice got more and more murderous, stepping ever closer, smile still on his face.

Her eyes locked onto the snake man in front of her as he moved forward, her body stiff as board. She had frozen under the snake's glare, fingers not close enough to grasp the Kunai right below them. Even her breathing had gone weak, lungs barely taking in air.

"You…will not…lay…a hand…on…her…" With all the strength he had left, the Yondaime pulled his left arm underneath him, leaning up, blocking his niece as much as he could, blurred sight searching for the Sannin who threatened the village.

With the sudden movement in front of her, Kirei gained back her body, hand quickly grasping the handle of the Kunai and pulling it out of its holster, pointing it at the Snake in front of her. "You won't hurt – "

Before she could even think about using the Kunai, her body went numb, hands releasing the knife and dropping to her side as her head drooped, neck still straight. Her mind began racing, eyes darting back and forth, frantic as to why she couldn't feel anything.

"I think that's enough." Kabuto said, his hand grasping the back of the blonde's neck, fingertips glowing blue with chakra to halt the girl's nervous system. She may not have posed a threat, but this was getting out of hand.

Although the smile still remained on his face, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed and the aura around him became deathly fatal. "You damn Namikaze's!" He exclaimed, kicking the weakened Yondaime in the gut to send him back to the floor. "Always being the heroes!" He knelt slightly, grabbing his rival's collar and throwing him into the wall with a large thud. "Always doing what's right! Always being goody goods!" He raged further, his eyes turning to the paralyzed blonde.

Kirei could only hear what was going on, helpless as Orochimaru turned his anger on her.

"Why can't you all just," He stepped toward her, unafraid of hurting his assistant as he kicked the girl, foot connecting with her cheek. "Die!"

Lying there, slipping in and out of consciousness, the Yondaime's blurry sight rested upon Kirei's hair as she fell to the floor, only able to see it in the rest of the darkness. "Please…Kirei…" He mumbled, lying his head on his arm. "…get away…"

Kabuto stayed silent, not bothering to set the female under his grasp again. She may be a Namikaze, but she wasn't stupid. She knew when to stay down, and for now, she was.

Orochimaru stopped dead, hearing the mumbles of the deranged Hokage. He was begging her to escape. He had been for a while now. He was trying to help her escape. But why?

He looked back and forth between the two slowly until it dawned on him. She was rather important to the Yondaime, wasn't she? Of course, that was his niece. The only remnant of his sister that remained on this earth.

A sly smile crossed the snake's face as he walked over to his hated rival. "Kirei-chan…" He began, kneeling next to the dying Hokage. "Is important to you. And if I remember correctly…She is also important to dear Sasuke-kun as well."

Kabuto tilted his head at the Sanin, black eyes somewhat wide. He wasn't planning to take her with them, was he?

Grabbing the Yondaime's hair, he wrenched the blonde's head back, so that blue eyes were looking into yellow. "I will be taking her with me until you are ready to give me what's rightfully mine." He knew that this, taking the girl, was the only way to hopefully get the position that'd belonged to him all along.

Hokage of Konoha.

In short gasps and with all his remaining strength, the Yondaime replied, scowl on his lips. "You will…never…get…Hokage…"

The Sannin smiled. "Than you'll never see your niece again."

In a poof of smoke, Orochimaru, Kabuto and the captive Kirei disappeared, leaving the poisoned Yondaime to die in a pool of his own blood.

* * *

"Cut!!" The Director yelled, obviously aggravated as he rubbed his brow. "Try to get yourself together, Naruto. Take 5!"

Sighing heavily, the blonde closed his eyes and sulked off, his thoughts somewhere other than filming.

Hinata watched, eyes full of worry. "You think he's okay?" She asked, turning to the raven standing next to her.

He also watched his best friend walk away, wondering just what was on his mind. Naruto had never before taken 12 takes to get a scene right and that only meant that he was thinking about something. "I'll go talk to him." He said quietly, nodding to Hinata to assure her.

She smiled, watching the Uchiha walk off toward her love. "Thanks." She would've gone herself, but no matter what, it always seemed that Sasuke could get more out of him than she ever could. So whenever something was bothering the Uzumaki, she left it to Sasuke to figure it out.

Finding a nicely shaded tree to lean against, the blonde sighed and plopped down, leaning his back against the bark and reaching into his jacket pocket. He sighed once more when blue eyes looked upon the screen.

Creasing his eyebrows slightly, Sasuke walked into the shade of the large tree and sat beside his friend. "You alright?" He asked, setting his elbows upon his propped up knees, looking out into the blue sky of the day.

Naruto flipped his phone open, lips curving downward into a frown. "My dad hasn't called." He replied softly, still looking at the screen.

Black eyes were drawn to the blonde, wondering why this, of all things, was upsetting him so much that he couldn't focus on filming. "Maybe he's busy. He is the Hokage, you know." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

The Uzumaki shook his head. "You don't understand…something's wrong." He said, putting emphasis on his last words.

Sasuke ruffled his eyebrows, still keeping his eyes on Naruto's rather serious face. "What do you mean?" He asked, bringing his hands down into his lap.

Naruto sighed again, closing his eyes for a moment. "My dad always calls. He always calls when he says he's going to, no matter how busy he is. He makes the time to call me." He explained, face solemn. "He told me he was going to call today."

"So?" Sasuke asked back, knowing that fact. Whenever Minato said he was going to call him, he called, precisely at the time he said he'd call. "Maybe he's gonna call later."

Naruto smiled sadly, blue eyes finally detaching from the screen and looking into black. "He was supposed to call 15 minutes ago."

Sasuke tilted his head, eyes widening slightly in alarm. Something could've happened that prevented him from calling. But then again, maybe he was just busy. Yes. That had to be it. "I'm sure he's just – "

"Something's _**wrong**_." Naruto cut him off, voice sharp and forceful. "I know it." His blue eyes may have been worried, but they were adamant.

Sasuke closed his eyes, releasing a large sigh. "Alright." He relented. "Would you feel better if we went over to the Manor or the Office and checked in on him?"

Naruto nodded, a small smile coming onto his face as he closed his phone. "Yes I would."

The raven set his hands upon his knees, eyes still closed as he stood. "I'll go tell the Director, then."

The blonde nodded once more, setting his phone back into his pocket and standing, watching his friend walk toward the Director. He would've told the man himself, but Sasuke always seemed better at conversing with the Director, so Naruto always let him handle things.

Hands in his pockets, said raven walked back over to the Uzumaki before 5 minutes had passed. "Let's go. We've got 15 minutes." He stated, eyes closed the entire time.

Naruto smiled, putting his hands behind his head, elbows into the air. "Thanks, teme."

The raven nodded, keeping his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets as they teleported off, heading first for the Office of Namikaze Minato.

* * *

Nearly 10 minutes ago, Sasuke had thought that Minato was simply too busy with work to take time out to call Naruto.

He knew from experience that Minato called when he said he was going to call, but there was always a chance that maybe he was just too busy to call. He knew, deep down, that Naruto was right in saying that something was wrong, but he didn't want to believe it just yet.

Because if Minato was in danger or had been hurt, it'd be devastating to the entire village, let alone the rest of the world. Minato was a greater man that people really thought about.

When they arrived at the Manor though, the bad feeling in his gut got worse. He knew now that he had to believe that something had happened.

He and Naruto both thought it odd when they arrived at the Office, finding that Minato wasn't there. It wasn't odd to anyone else; maybe he went home early, since it was near 5 in the afternoon. But to the two boys, it was foreign.

Minato made it a staple to leave after everyone else and yet, leave before 7. He liked to be home right when twilight started, that way, he could work more at home and be able to see the sun setting over the city he protected.

But they had learned from his secretary that he'd gone home early, and after exchanging worried glances, turned and head for the Manor.

"The lights aren't on." Naruto began, astounded, breaking the silence as the two walked up to the large building.

Drawn from his thoughts, Sasuke looked up to the building, seeing the same thing Naruto did.

There were no lights on in the house. Or at least…none that could be seen from their view.

Despite not being a Namikaze or an Uzumaki, Sasuke was family enough to know what that meant. Something _**was**_ wrong. "Stay alert." He said softly, reminding his quick-to-act-without-thinking blonde friend, eyes scanning the area.

Nodding, the blonde quickened his pace, keeping his eyes square on the door. "I know."

* * *

The boys' senses heightened when they entered the Manor, finding the front door unlocked and a sole light on.

They walked further into the home, side-by-side, eyes checking every corner, every nook and every cranny. There definitely was someone in the house, but who, was the question.

Coming into the kitchen first, they found nothing out of place, save for a book bag and a few books on the kitchen table, the light the only one on.

Sasuke recognized it immediately. "That's Kirei's book bag." He stated, walking right up to the bag. He flipped through it gently, knowing each notebook, each pencil and book.

Naruto came up beside him, looking through the bag after he'd checked the rest of the kitchen. "What's Nee-chan doing here?" He asked to no one in particular, knowing the raven wouldn't know the answer.

The thing that worried both boys was that, if Kirei and Minato were here, wouldn't they have heard something by now? Either talking or laughing; they would've heard _**something**_.

Sasuke sighed, seeing her phone in the side pocket of the bag. "Her last class was half an hour ago." He informed, knowing her schedule almost by heart. "She should be at the loft by now."

"Maybe Dad called her over." Naruto suggested, reaching and pulling her phone out of said pocket and flipping it open. He checked the list of incoming calls and nodded. "Yeah, Dad called her almost an hour and a half ago."

Sasuke pursed his lip slightly, staring at her book bag. She definitely had been here, as shown by her bag…but where were her shoes? And her voice? Why hadn't they heard something by now? And wouldn't she have called him to let him know she'd be stopping by here after class?

"I don't like this." He said, looking over into blue eyes. "There're too many things not adding up."

Blue eyes held the same worry that black had. "I know," He nodded, closing the phone and setting it down. "I don't like it either. But…" He led off, walking over to the doorway between the living room and kitchen. "Let's check the rest of the house before we start worrying."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, a tiny bit surprised that the Dobe had actually thought out things before reacting. "Yeah," He stood beside his friend, looking into the darkness of the room. "We wouldn't want to look like idiots, calling a false alarm."

Naruto let out a dry chuckle, looking over to Sasuke with half lidded eyes as he reached his hand out to the light switch of the living room. "Very funny, Teme." He flipped the switch.

Light flooded the room and the part of the upstairs that was in view of the room.

Lying against the wall, his white coat partially soaked crimson, the nearly unconscious Yondaime knew what that was beyond his eyelids.

Light.

Which only meant that someone was home. He inhaled sharply, trying to form words to alert whoever it was, but couldn't. He only let out a cry of pain.

Black and blue eyes were immediately drawn to the sound, to the upstairs, to the injured Yondaime.

"_**Dad**_!" Naruto cried, heartbeat wild as he saw his father, lying against the wall of the office, Hokage cloak died with dark red blood.

That bad feeling Sasuke had earlier intensified tenfold. This was _**not**_ good.

Naruto shot up the stairs like a bat out of hell, eyes widening and heartbeat wildly increasing at the sight before him.

His dad, the only member left of his immediate family was lying, eyes closed, in a pool of his own blood, feet from another stain of crimson that was probably his too.

He fell to his father's side, body shaking, breath coming in gasps. "Dad." He cried softly, watching his pale face for any sign of movement.

The Yondaime reacted only slightly, his eyes opening a sliver even though he couldn't see. He reached out to his son, knowing he was somewhere close. "…Kirei…" He mumbled.

Flying up the stairs after Naruto, Sasuke was horrified, blood draining from his face at the sight before him. With so much blood lost, the Yondaime had to be dying. There was no other conclusion. But Sasuke also knew that there was only one person, in all the world, capable – and having the motivation – to hurt the Yondaime this bad.

_**Orochimaru**_.

He activated his Sharingan in a flash and looked to the darkness of the hall, expecting to find his worst nightmare staring back at him with that creepy grin.

But there was no one. Just a dark hallway looking back at him.

As soon as the Yondaime had uttered her name, Sasuke's sight immediately left the hallway and its darkness, black eyes wide with shock and fear. "What did he say?" He asked, slowly walking over to the fallen Hokage.

The Yondaime coughed, feeling pain within every movement of his body. "…Whe…" He began, not realizing he solely held the attention of two shocked boys. "…where's…Kirei…?"

Sasuke blinked, his mouth going completely dry, all thoughts flying to a stop. He'd completely forgotten that Kirei was here. His Princess was here.

Was.

She _**was**_ here.

"…N-no…" The Uchiha denied, stumbling backwards, wide eyes staring into space and yet at the Yondaime. "She's not – " His breathing quickened dramatically, head shaking slightly. "Not gone. She can't – can't be gone." He stuttered, mind raging into overdrive. "She's – she's still here." He tried to assure himself, body beginning to shake.

He knew, in the deepest parts of his heart and his mind, that she was gone: but he wouldn't accept it. He couldn't.

Before Naruto could even realize his best friend was having a mental breakdown, he was gone in a poof of smoke, off to find his Princess that was no longer here.

Naruto knew the gravity of the situation. He knew he needed to find Sasuke and calm him down. But, his father was _**dying**_. His father was slowly bleeding to death and he needed to deal with one thing at a time.

It was all he _**could**_ deal with.

Setting one hand on his father's arm, he shook him gently while the other hand reached for the phone in his jacket pocket, dialing a certain woman's number. "It's okay, Dad. It's gonna be okay." He assured, more himself rather than his father as he brought his phone to his ear.

"Naruto!" His grandmother's annoyed voice called out. "You know not to call me – "

"Granny, Dad's injured." The blonde cut her off, voice alarmed and worried. "He's lost a lot of blood and Sasuke's gone completely crazy and I need to get him over there. Now."

He hadn't seen the shocked look on his grandmother's face, but in an instant, she replied. "I'll have a bed and a private room ready."

"…Naruto…"

Blue eyes looked to his father. "Hold on." He told her, hearing her already shouting to nurses and other doctors at the hospital.

The Yondaime took another deep breath and coughed harshly, wincing from the pain. "…Orochimaru…poi…s…on…." With his last words, the Yondaime's eyes slipped shut, his head falling back onto the floor as he slipped into a coma.

Naruto immediately put the phone back to his mouth. "He's been poisoned!" He cried, knowing that was very useful information.

"Just get him over here now!" Tsunade cried back, frantic that her only son was dying. "Room 1025!" With a click, she shut her phone, standing next to the bed and impatiently waiting with other doctors and nurses she'd assembled moments before.

Keeping his phone out, the blonde left his home in a poof of smoke, landing at the hospital with his father mere seconds later.

Every doctor and nurse, even Tsunade herself, froze in complete and utter shock at the condition of the Yondaime as he lay in the bed, barely breathing.

No one, ever, had seen him be this close to death, this pale, this…_**dead**_.

Within seconds, the room burst into frantic life, realizing they had to act fast or else the Hokage would be dead.

But Naruto didn't hear any of it. He was tuned out to the screams and shouts and frenzied rushing of the people as he stood a few feet away from the bed his father now laid upon.

It didn't take long for the blonde to fall into one of the seats in the room to relieve his shaking legs, running a hand over his face and through his hair. His other hand dialed yet another number and pulled the phone close to his ear.

Hinata quickly picked up, wondering just where on earth the blonde was. The director had told them to be back within 15 minutes and it had nearly been half an hour! "Naru – "

"Hinata." The blonde's monotonous voice spoke over hers, his eyes closed. He didn't want to see what they were doing to his father.

She blinked, her heart already starting to race. His emotionless voice was so alien to her that she knew something was wrong immediately. "What's going on?" She asked softly, getting worried looks from their friends, who knew that tone in her voice.

"My Dad's hurt." He replied, gulping when he heard that gasp.

She did gasp, her clear eyes widening. "Minato's – "

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, cutting her off. "I'll explain everything later, I swear. But I need you to find Sasuke." He told her, knowing he couldn't go himself. He wanted to. But he had to stay with his father.

"…Find Sasuke?" She repeated, trying to grasp the thought of the Yondaime being injured in her mind.

He nodded once more, sighing. "He had a breakdown and left to find Kirei."

Hinata's heart slowly sank, her eyes closing as they glossed over. "She's…"

"Yes." Naruto answered quickly. "She's gone." He informed, feeling his face tighten with tears. "_**Again**_."

"I'll find him." She assured, her voice cracking as others looked on, and to each other in worry.

"Thanks." The blonde answered, running his hand over his face again. "I need you to tell everyone to meet at the Manor, right now, and wait for me to show up to explain. I also need Sakura at the hospital. Now. Room 1025." He nearly commanded, knowing his love would forgive him for being so commanding. He wasn't in the mood to ask questions.

She nodded. "Of course, Naruto. I'll have Sasuke there too." She tried to smile, eyes still closed. "I love you."

He also tried to smile. "Thanks, Hinata." It failed, his lips not turning up. "I love you too." He couldn't smile.

Hanging up the phone, Hinata rubbed her eyes and upon opening them, found all eyes on her. She scanned the crowd of her friends and ignored their questions. "Sakura."

The pink haired stepped forward, wondering why Hinata's voice was so grave. "What's going on?"

The Hyuuga put up her hand and shook her head. "Questions later. They need you at the hospital. _**Now**_." She stressed. "Short version for everyone," She began loudly, looking to everyone. "Minato's injured and Kirei's missing."

It immediately became silent as death, all eyes looking to the Hyuuga.

"Naruto is at the hospital right now, but he wants everyone at the Manor, waiting for him. He'll explain more there. That's all I know." She looked to Sakura, still shaking slightly from the news. "He wants you at the hospital with Tsunade."

Sakura nodded, offered a sad smile, and departed in smoke, knowing she had to get there fast.

"I won't be there quite yet, I have something to do first." She informed everyone before teleporting off in search of a strayed raven.

Everyone left soon after she did, heading for the Manor to wait for answers.

* * *

Traveling through the village after leaving the film grounds with devastating news, Hinata tried her best to focus on finding Sasuke.

But what little she knew about what happened had her distracted. Just that little was enough to make her think.

How had the Yondaime – the greatest Hokage and arguably the greatest Ninja in Konoha – succumbed to an attack that put his life at danger? Who had enough power to do that, especially to him? Would that person come back?

Who was going to take up Hokage in the meantime? It wouldn't be fair for Sarutobi to come out of retirement. He was a great Ninja as well, but it might be too much stress for the older man.

Blinking, Hinata realized she'd passed the turn off for the Loft – the first place Sasuke would probably go to – and shook her head. She _**had**_ to focus.

She couldn't worry about details right now, especially when she didn't know everything.

Going back and turning to get to the loft, the Hyuuga sighed softly. She knew she could find Sasuke. It'd be easy with her Byakugan.

But, the question that worried her more was, would she be able to calm him down?

* * *

Landing softly and quietly at Kirei and Sasuke's loft in search of said raven, Hinata looked at the building for any signs of life. She could only hope that Sasuke was there, even if he was upset and depressed.

At least then, he'd be found.

But clear eyes saddened when she found the building's windows dark, meaning more or less, that no one was there. No Sasuke here.

Upon seeing the front door, those Hyuuga eyes saddened even more so, her mouth parting slightly to let out a sigh of grief. The front door had been completely thrown open, obviously unlocked now and showed the darkness of the loft.

"Oh, Sasuke…" She mumbled sadly, walking up to the door to see if he'd actually thrown it open while it was locked.

Seeing the wooden doorframe split at where the hinges and locks had been, along with the shards of wood on the floor, it was apparent that Sasuke really had kicked the door right open.

The raven had been in such a frenzy to find his beloved that he didn't care if he destroyed the door. He didn't care if it was open or closed for all the world to see. All he cared about was finding her.

Letting out a shaky sigh, Hinata tried to keep her eyes from glossing over and cautiously entered the house, not knowing where all of the splinters were. "Sasuke?" She called out, hoping there would be a reply although she knew there wouldn't be.

Looking around with her very useful Kekkai Genkai, she located one of the lamps next to the couch, walked over and flipped it on, allowing light to flood the room. It was definitely the living room, but it wasn't as extravagant as she thought it would be.

It was just a normal living room with a tv, couch, a few chairs…even though…there was a homey feeling about it. It made her feel relaxed even in such a stressful time like this.

No wonder Sasuke loved it here. He could be free from the world's stresses in a place like this.

She took only a few moments to search the rest of the house, not looking at each of the rooms in pure detail. She would've liked to, but she didn't have the time, nor the luxury. She had to find Sasuke, no matter what.

True to her focus, she didn't linger in any of the rooms for more than a minute or two, at least until she came to the last room, the one at the end of the downstairs hallway. She'd figured it was Kirei's studio, and knew that it was "wondrous" from what Sasuke told her from time to time, but didn't imagine how "wondrous" it really was.

Opening the door, her eyes widened, mouth dropping in amazement. She was shocked to see how many things just one person did.

There were murals on each of the walls. There were paintings hanging in frames on the walls. There were paintings stacked in the corner. Masquerade masks were hanging from the cabinet. There was a beginning of a dress on the one model in the corner of the room. There were paper maché sculptures, some painted, some plain white.

There was just too much too look at with such little time.

But there was one thing, one tiny painting in the corner of the room that caught her eye. It was just a clear white piece of paper, save for two paint handprints on it. One of them was a deep navy blue, while the other was a much lighter blue, with a few other colors mixed in. The navy was much larger than the light blue, and was probably Sasuke's hand.

If Hinata had ever had one percent of doubt that Sasuke loved Kirei, she didn't anymore. She wasn't sure why this particular painting made her believe, but it made her smile.

It made her realize that Sasuke had changed. That he wasn't he emo he used to be. That he really was in love.

That he needed to be found.


	9. Conference

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_**Notes:** _I know many of you may not read this, or may not review, message me, etc, but I need to ask a favor of you, my readers. _I want you all to answer honestly to this question, no matter if you think it will hurt my feelings (and with **reason** behind your answer)_ ; **Do you think Kirei is a Mary-Sue, or some form of a Mary Sue?** I promise to take all answers as a critique and be level headed about it. If you say yes, I won't flame you or bash you because of it. I've been thinking a lot about improving not my writing, but my character making. I myself have taken a lot of "is your character a Mary-Sue" quiz (even if they aren't reliable) to see if she was, but that's not being honest to myself. I can provide a link to a Mary-Sue test, but I want to know what **you** think. Please, be absolutely honest because I would really like to know what you think so I can improve my character making. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies. :D Enjoy the chapter!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 9 – Conference_

* * *

Hinata knew she had to keep going. Despite her burning legs and lungs, she had to keep going.

But she couldn't. She had to take a break.

It'd been an hour and a half since her realization at the loft of the Namikaze and the Uchiha, and ever since, she'd been searching not stop for Sasuke.

Panting, she jumped up into one of the large trees of Konoha, reveling in the shade the above branches provided. Sitting down and letting her legs dangle over the sides, she leaned against the trunk of the tree and thought about all the places she'd been, making sure she hadn't missed a spot.

She'd already gone to Loft, both the regular and Akatsuki film grounds, Kirei's old high school and the gazebo in it, the park, Paint, the Arcade, the Aerith like Church and even to the Uchiha Manor itself.

The only reason she'd known to go to half of those places was thanks to a small diary she'd found in the studio of the Loft, where Kirei had jotted down the places and exactly how to get to them.

But Sasuke wasn't there. He wasn't _**anywhere**_.

And it was really starting to worry Hinata.

She sighed, knowing the Uchiha used to go missing a lot – but always showed up somewhere. She closed her eyes.

Hinata knew Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to go kill himself. He wouldn't do that for fear of leaving Kirei by herself. But…if she wasn't able to find him, what were they going to do? If, by chance, they'd gotten Kirei back and Sasuke wasn't there…

Quickly, the Hyuuga shook her head, clearing all thoughts from her mind. She couldn't think about the future. She had to think about now.

And right now, she _**had**_ to find Sasuke.

There was no other option.

Taking a deep sigh, Hinata wiped the sweat from her brow and as she stood, activating her very useful Kekkai Genkai. Before she jumped out of the tree, she opened her eyes and froze in complete and utter shock, mouth dropping open.

There he was! Sitting in the damn tree trunk right across the road from her!

"Thank god!" She cried softly in relief, her heart and mind feeling much lighter than a few moments ago. Deactivating the ocular Jutsu, she jumped down to the road and slowly began walking toward the Uchiha.

Even though she could easily see him, she was sure the raven hadn't seen her. He was definitely looking out into the road, but Hinata knew better than to think he was looking at her. Those black eyes were lifeless, staring more off into space than at the road.

But at least he was somewhere. At least he was safe. At least he wasn't frantic.

He still hadn't noticed her – or made any notification toward her if he had noticed her – as she set her hand upon the bark of the opening, leaning her body sideways to look into the hallowed out trunk.

Her hair curtained to her leaning, bringing the Uchiha back to reality when he saw the dark hair come out of nowhere.

She smiled softly, eyes softening when his eyes met hers. "Hey there."

Sasuke simply continued to look at her, blinking a few times before looking back out into the road.

Her smile faded, saddened at how bleak his eyes looked. "I've been looking for you." She slowly moved inside the trunk and sat beside the Uchiha, yet keeping a good amount of space between the two. She didn't want him to feel crowded.

"I…" The Uchiha began, his voice monotone and soft, eyes still looking out into space. "couldn't – couldn't find her. Not – not at all." He spoke as if her were stuttering, as if he was still frantic. "She's not – not here."

Hinata stared, her eyes slightly wide, heart aching at his words. She had never in her life seen Sasuke this bad before.

"Not here," He continued, voice shaking. "Not – she's not here."

The dark haired rolled her lips, eyes moving away from him and out into the road, unable to look at him any longer. This was undeniably true. Kirei wasn't here. She was gone.

At least, physically she was. She knew it was so very cheesy, but there was something she knew that might help Sasuke deal with all of this.

It was pretty obvious that he wasn't having an easy time with her being gone again.

"That's true." She stated softly, agreeing with the depressed raven beside her. "But…not completely."

For the first time since she'd been there, Sasuke changed his expression from blankness, his eyebrows creasing. She was gone. She wasn't here. How could she be?

Hinata bit her lip gently. "A few years ago, I was worried about someone being gone, too." She explained. "And he told me something that might help you." She looked over to the raven to find him looking back.

His eyes were still blank, but slightly confused. "Like what?" His voice was still emotionless too.

"That when you love someone, you let them into your heart." She smiled, ever so softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "And no matter what happens, they'll never leave."

The Uchiha's lips parted slightly, coal eyes staring at her in confusion and in understanding. His heart understood her. His mind didn't.

He didn't understand why that was so important. Letting someone into your heart? How did that keep them from leaving? How did that assure him that she was there? She wasn't here. How did that make everything better?

Hinata could see the confusion in his eyes and continued. "See, because you let Kirei into your heart," She noticed the flinch when she said her name and sighed. He really was hurting if he couldn't hear her name. "she's with you all the time now. No matter if she's here physically, she's a part of you." Slowly as not to startle him, Hinata reached her hand out, pointing to the Uchiha's heart, watching as his eyes became wide.

She was with him? All the time? That wasn't possible.

It wasn't possible.

"I know it's hard to accept, her being gone, Sasuke." Hinata continued, taking her hand back. "But she's not always gone. I'm sure that there's a piece of you with her whenever you go on missions, or when you're gone for 10 minutes. She knows you love her."

As if his brain had short circuited, Sasuke's eyes went wide in realization. Hinata was right. The Uchiha necklace Ki…she never took off was proof of that. There was a piece of him with her at all times.

He knew now that there was a piece of her with him; but that might not be enough. Without her, Sasuke couldn't feel. He couldn't be happy. He'd become what he used to be.

And he didn't want to be unhappy anymore.

"But don't you worry." Hinata cut into his thoughts, setting a calm hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, knowing what he was thinking about. "For all of our sake's, we're going to get her back." She smiled a large smile at the raven.

He looked over to her, eyes not as lifeless as before. They still looked a little blank, but there was definitely something there. Something small. But there.

"Naruto's called everyone else to the Manor so that we can find out what happened and start to deal with all of this." The smile remained on her face, eyes soft. "What do you say we go there?"

Sasuke still watched her, wondering how she did it. He'd felt so lost only minutes ago…and now, he was still lost, but not as confused. He knew where to go from here. He knew that he had to help in any way he could. That would result in bringing Kirei back sooner.

Slowly, he nodded, watching the Hyuuga's smile widen.

"Than let's get going." She answered, standing and stretching her legs. She left the tree trunk first, knowing the raven would follow her.

He did slowly, eyes blinking at the intense sunlight. There wasn't much, but there was hope.

With another small nod, the two left the abandoned road, heading for the Manor and for some form of hope.

* * *

Sasuke followed Hinata the whole way to the Manor, staying completely silent the whole way.

It wasn't that he was depressed – although he could say he was – he just didn't want to talk. To anyone. He didn't want to deal with being asked a million questions and being poked and prodded about being okay. He came to the Manor to support his best friend and worry about what they were going to do, not how he was and if he was okay.

Hinata knew this, and spared the Uchiha any questions she had. Right now, they had to worry more about the village and the Yondaime than Sasuke. It was cruel to not deal with his depression, but it honestly could wait. "Hey guys." She said, walking into the living room of the Manor.

Knowing that Sasuke had been missing by what Hinata had said before they arrived, everyone in the large living room of the Hokage Manor gave out a sigh of relief when they saw the raven walk in behind the Hyuuga.

But with that sigh of relief came a little disappointment. They were really hoping that it was Naruto, so that they could understand what the hell was going on around here.

As the other people in the room answered Hinata, Sasuke continued to the near back of the room, knowing he was being watched. All eyes were on him, wondering if they should ask if he was okay, but knew better than to ask him.

They were all worried about him, able to see the blankness in his eyes, but what could they do? Kirei was gone yet again, and that was the only thing that could help him.

So, in search of what to do, they looked to Hinata, who seemed to tell them with knowing clear eyes, that there was nothing they could do and it was best to leave him be.

They did.

"So…" Ino began, breaking the silence as she sat on one of the love seats next to her red haired teammate. "Do we just wait?" She asked, looking at all the people in the room.

First was Chouji, who was seated next to her. He shrugged.

Neji and Raiha were next, both sitting in one of the recliners. They looked to each other before looking at her with uncertain looks.

On the couch beside them were Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Tenten. Shino seemed indifferent as always, eyes hiding behind his glasses. Kiba seemed to be very tense, his foot tapping, making his knee twitch involuntarily. His eyes were on the ground; like he hadn't heard the question at all. Shikamaru was nearly the same way, although he looked much more calm, his face emotionless, hands folded in front of him as if he were thinking. Tenten was the only one looking at her, her brown eyes asking the same question back.

Lee was standing next to the couch and did the same as Tenten. He could only look at her with the same question, although he shrugged his shoulders.

Sitting on the chair opposite of Ino, Hinata wasn't the last person she could see – Sasuke was – but was the last person to give her some form of an answer. She sighed, looking into the blue eyes of Ino. "Yeah." She nodded. "It's all we can do."

Ino sighed a heavy sigh, along with some of the others in the room, her eyes drawn the raven somewhat near Hinata, sitting in a chair he'd dragged into the room. She wished there was something they could do for him, seeing him look so lost as he stared off into space.

But finally, she drug her sight away from him, looking at the floor. "Great."

* * *

Two hours later, the living room was still almost dead silent, no one sure of what to say for a situation like this. They couldn't talk normally; that would be acting as if they didn't care, but what else did they have to talk about? Naruto and Sakura still weren't back yet.

But, outside the Manor wasn't as silent. Over those two hours of waiting, many reporters had gathered around the house, their cameras flashing lights and their voices asking questions.

No one bothered to get up and answer them, but Akamaru was kind enough to draw the curtains shut. They figured that somehow, someone leaked the information about the Yondaime and of course, the reporters wanted answers.

After a few minutes, though, the flashes and the voices died down, beckoning one of the 11 people there to get up and peak outside.

"They're leaving." Tenten stated, drawing the curtain shut once more before turning back to her friends and heading toward her seat.

Everyone heard her speak, but their attention was quickly drawn to the middle of the room, where a large poof of smoke had gathered and two voices were heard.

"Really, Sakura, you can take one of the spare rooms if you're tired." A very familiar, albeit tired voice spoke, his hand starting to wave away the smoke. "You did a lot over there."

The pink haired girl was tired, her green eyes somewhat drained of life and color. "I'll be fine," She assured, also waving the smoke away. "I want to help out as much as I can."

As blue and green eyes looked through the thin layer of smoke, they found all eyes on them.

"Naruto!" Hinata cried, seeing her beloved boyfriend and immediately running up to him, wrapping her arms around his chest, hugging him. She didn't want anyone else to know, but she really had been worried about her blonde. "You're back!"

Looking down, he smiled softly; hugging her back and petting her hair to assure her he was okay. "Yes," He looked to everyone else in the room, all gazes still on him. "I'm back."

"Naruto, what's going on?" Shikamaru asked, hands still folded, perplexed look still on his face. "We've been here for two hours, there were reporters – "

Naruto nodded, cutting him off. "I know. I told them to leave, but they'll be back." He was met with even more confused looks. "Look, I know you're all confused, but we've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time."

"Work?" Kiba asked, his foot still tapping nervously. "What are you talking about?"

The blonde sighed heavily, looking around the room to the faces that looked back at him, searching for someone in particular. When he found the raven in the corner of the room, he smiled softly. "Good to see you back, Sasuke."

The raven nodded, black eyes looking into blue.

"Damn it, Naruto!" Ino cried, slamming her fist down on the armrest beside her. "Will you tell us what the hell is going on around here?! First you call Hinata and worry her half to death and then we're all here, waiting and wondering and…" Her voice faded quickly, breath coming in quick pants.

"It's okay, Ino." Chouji assured, rubbing his teammate's shoulder and back gently to calm her down. "No need to get so worked up." He looked up to Naruto, nodding to tell him that she'd be okay.

Naruto smiled softly in return. "Let's get some more chairs in here, that way we're all not standing."

"I got it." Sakura said, not allowing her friend to protest by walking away before he could say anything. It only took a minute or two, but she'd gotten three chairs; one for her, one for Naruto and the other for Hinata, Lee taking Hinata's old seat.

"Thanks." He said first, nodding to the pink haired beside him, his one hand encased with Hinata's. Then he looked to all the others in the room, knowing they were dying to hear what was going on. "Now…to explain…" He ran his other hand over his face tiredly.

Kiba's foot stopped tapping and everyone drew their full attention to Naruto, the room dead silent, save for the ticking of the historic grandfather clock.

"My dad is in a coma." He sighed softly, trying to not remember seeing his father hooked up to so many different machines. "From what we could tell, he was stabbed in the abdomen with a poisoned blade. He's still in critical condition, but if it wasn't for Sakura here," He looked to one of his best friends, smiling a tired smile at her. "he would be dead."

She smiled back, shaking her head in denial. "No, I didn't do that much, Naruto."

Too tired to argue with the rosette who could probably smash his head in, even when she was this tired, Naruto let it go, turning back to everyone else. "We know he was poisoned by Orochimaru. We don't know what poison was used, when it will be all cleaned up and when my dad will wake up."

"That means…" Shino lead on, bringing attention to him for only a moment. "Konoha is without a Hokage."

In alarm, everyone began looking around the room, wondering what they should do. A city as large and as powerful as Konoha without a Hokage was like peanut butter without jelly. As soon as the people found that the Yondaime was injured, the whole city would fall into chaos.

And, for the sake of their own city, let alone for the rest of the world, Konoha could not fall to chaos.

"Guys." Shikamaru said, raising his voice only slightly to get everyone to stop mumbling and murmuring. "Before we start dealing with all of that," He lowered his voice as the noise level began to drop. "let's hear the rest of what Naruto has to say and then go from there. With something this drastic, it's best to take a piece at a time."

The noise level didn't rise, but looks and nods were shared, all agreeing with Shikamaru. Before freaking out, they had to get all the information they could and deal with it piece by piece.

Restoring the calm for now, Shikamaru nodded to the blonde across from him. "Go ahead, Naruto."

The blonde nodded back in thanks. He sighed once more, trying to remember where he left off. "Oh yeah. Sometime during our visit at the hospital, one of the nurses decided to tell someone that the Yondaime was injured, which is probably why the reporters were here."

That answered a few more questions.

"Tsunade and I dealt with them." He continued. "I told them that in about 2 hours, I'd hold a press conference with details on what happened and what we're going to do." He looked to everyone, eyes almost pleading with them to help. "That's why I called all of you here. I know I can trust all of you to help and to not blab your mouths."

Despite the gravity of the situation, there were a few chuckles. Naruto was definitely right in thinking that.

"If that is the case, I think we should figure out what happened here first." Shikamaru said, hands still folded in thought.

"But what about Kirei? Isn't she missing?" Kiba asked impatiently, looking to the blonde in the near middle of the room. He couldn't help but be worried about the female blonde, still harboring some feelings for her. She was still one of his friends, too.

Naruto tensed slightly, knowing this question was also on the mind of the raven behind him. "Well…"

"Shouldn't we go after her? Or formulate a plan to send a team to go after her?" He asked, eyebrows ruffled in confusion, leaning forward slightly.

"No, we shouldn't." Neji said, monotonous voice firm, clear eyes looking to the Inuzuka who glared back. "Not yet, at least."

"Neji's right." Sakura began, trying to ease away some of the tension growing thick in the air. "I mean, as much as we want to go after her…" Her green eyes glanced over to the corner of the room, knowing that black eyes were on her. "Think about how hard it would be to organize a search team with the city in chaos. I know we all want her back, and with what happened last year, it's going to be hard…but we've got to deal with home first."

Hating to agree, and yet knowing she was right, everyone in the room silently agreed. They knew home had to be dealt with first. It was hard to say, but in this instance, Kirei wasn't of much importance.

A few moments of silence passed before someone spoke, all letting the shock wear away.

"Well…" Shikamaru began, sighing. "If we're going to be here for a while, maybe some of us should head out and get something to eat and drink. That way, we don't have to worry about cooking something."

Lee was the first to stand up, small smile on his face. "I will go."

Sighing, Tenten also stood. "I'll go to make sure Lee doesn't get some weird health nut pizza." She got a few chuckles and chuckled herself.

Almost across the room, Raiha rolled her lip in thought. She wanted to help everyone…but she really didn't want to hear about the major details of what happened. Especially the bloody parts. "I'll go too."

"I'll help carry stuff." Neji stood up as well, wanting to help and to be with Raiha. He knew that even if she didn't seem like it, she was upset. Kirei was one of her best non-ninja friends. They'd only known each other for a few years, even though it seemed like they knew each other since they were born.

Quiet as ever, Shino also stood up. "I'll go." He knew everyone else could handle carrying the food and drinks, but with Neji consoling Raiha and Tenten trying to keep Lee under control, it was going to be hard for them to remember what to order.

Before they could begin to leave, Naruto released Hinata's hand, standing up and reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. "Thanks," He began, trying to fish out the leather money holder. "Here's some – "

Walking over to the blonde, Neji remained emotionless as he took the cash from Naruto's hand. Then he took the wallet. "We're your friends." He said, placing the cash right back in the wallet. He then put the wallet back into Naruto's hands. "You don't need to pay us."

"Yes, Naruto!" Lee chimed in, bouncing over happily. "Please, let us pay!"

It may not have been an Uzumaki grin, but he grinned. "Thanks guys."

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino were the only ones in the living room when the other's left to get food and drinks for everyone. Shikamaru had suggested that they walk; giving them the time they needed to sort things out.

"So we're not going to choose Hokage right now?" Ino asked, blue eyes on Shikamaru.

He shook his head. "No. We should wait until all of us are here, that way we have more minds. More minds gives us a better chance of picking the right person." He explained.

"Okay…" Kiba began, seeing the point, but wanting to at least do something. He couldn't just sit here and wait. "Than what do we do?"

Silence took the room for a few minutes, allowing the grandfather clock to be heard once again.

"Well," Sakura started, trying to break the silence. "The reporters are probably going to ask what happened and how the Yondaime got injured…so we should start there."

There were a few nods amongst the group, no words spoken although they were in agreement.

Once again, Shikamaru took control of the situation, looking to the blonde and raven. "If that's the case, why don't we go through what you two did," He motioned to the both of them. "step by step, room by room, and try to figure this out?"

Naruto wasn't hesitant, still standing from trying to get his wallet out of his pocket. He wanted to know what happened. Why Orochimaru came after his dad. Why Kirei was taken. Why in the world his father hadn't fought back.

But what about Sasuke? He'd already had a breakdown. Would he be okay with knowing what happened? Even if it wasn't what they thought it was? What they hoped it was?

"Yes." All eyes shot to the corner of the room, where one silent raven stood, nodding his head. "To understand what happened makes it easier to help."

Hearing his words, the blonde sighed a quiet and huge sigh of relief. He relaxed a little more when he felt his love stand beside him and grab his hand.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the lazy ninja's face as he stood up. "Then let's get started."

The rest of the group stood, if not already standing and walked into the kitchen, seeing as how the front door was right near the room.

Setting his hands into his pockets and leaning against the counter, Shikamaru closed his eyes, envisioning the scene as he started to ask questions. "Why don't you two run us through everything that happened before you got to the Manor? Then we'll go from there."

"Well…" Naruto began, looking up to try to remember back to what started all of this as he stood next to the table, Hinata beside him still.

"You were upset since your dad hadn't called." Sasuke said from the far corner, reminding the blonde. "And we left the grounds, heading for the Office."

"And when we didn't find him there – which was really odd and the first thing that tipped us off – we came here." The blonde continued, remembering thanks to the Uchiha's numb words.

"So he wasn't at the Office?" Sakura asked, knowing it was strange for him to not be there.

"Yes," Naruto nodded. "He wasn't there. His secretary said he'd left early for the day, which wasn't normal for him."

Shikamaru's eyes were still closed. "What happened after that?"

"We came here," Sasuke said, eyes meeting Naruto's just to confirm the fact.

"And the lights were off." Naruto concluded, remembering that particular detail. "All of them were turned off, and that never happens here. We always tend to leave a light on for when one of us gets home." He explained.

"That tipped you off even more." Hinata almost asked, looking at her blonde.

He nodded.

"But you went inside anyway?" Kiba asked, obviously knowing the answer. He really wanted to know why they went in.

The raven answered this time. "Yeah. Despite the signs, we had to know that something bad hadn't happened although we both knew something was wrong. We had to check it out."

"So you went to the Office and then came in here." Shikamaru recapped, picturing it in his mind. "Did you come into the kitchen first?"

They both nodded, Naruto unsure if Sasuke wanted to say they found Kirei's stuff.

Like he thought, the Uchiha ran a hand through his hair, eyes closing as he leaned against the wall of the corner. "We came into the kitchen and found Ki…" He stuttered at her name. "Kirei's book bag on the table."

"But we didn't find her shoes." Naruto added, knowing the Uchiha probably didn't remember that fact.

Sakura furrowed her brows, looking at the blonde and then the raven. "Her shoes weren't here?"

They looked to each other first, or rather; Naruto did, and both shook their heads.

"No," Naruto answered in words. "We noticed her shoes weren't there, and seeing her bag there, phone and all, made us worried."

"It was quiet." The Uchiha added, his voice soft. He may not have said it, but he was hinting that it was weird that it was quiet. Everyone knew that when it came to the Yondaime, Kirei was a bit of a chatterbox. For her to be at the Manor, with the Yondaime and be silent could not happen.

It was impossible.

"She knew something was up." Hinata said after a moment of silence. "She wouldn't've taken off her shoes if she'd been alert, knowing she might have to run."

Shikamaru agreed, nodding his head slightly. "So we know that for right now, Kirei was unharmed. What did you do next?"

"Well…" Naruto thought back once more, moving away from the table beside him and to the opening that lead into the living room, right near where the Uchiha was standing. "We came right here…"

Sasuke looked to the blonde sadly. "I chuckled and told you we shouldn't worry so much and cry wolf."

Sakura and Hinata shared a worried glance, not so much about Naruto, but more about Sasuke. Granted, he was talking. Full sentences, to be exact. He was being semi-social. But, those sentences, those words had no life in them. They were numb, as if he was just saying them so that they'd be heard.

This worried them only because this was different than last time. Last time Kirei was taken, the Uchiha was thoroughly depressed. They could hear it in his voice; everyone could.

To hear his voice now, completely monotone and devoid of all life worried the two girls. But for now, as hard as it was, they had to set their concerns aside. Right now, they had to worry about the problems at hand. Then and only then could try to help Sasuke.

"Yeah…" The blonde nodded, turning his head back to Shikamaru. "Then we flipped on the light and heard my dad cry out in pain."

"I assume you went upstairs." He replied, opening his eyes and raising an eyebrow.

Beside him, Kiba had been listening as quietly as he could, watching Sasuke, actually. He couldn't imagine going through what Sasuke had already gone through and what he was going to go through. "No shit, Sherlock." He punched his lazy friend in the arm gently.

"Yeah, I flew upstairs." The blonde let out a small smile, motioning for the group to follow Sasuke and himself as they walked upstairs.

Sasuke remained silent.

The blonde and raven were accompanied by Hinata and Sakura on the second floor, while Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji – who had remained silent because they weren't really sure of what to say – stood on the steps, examining the scene.

"There're two pools of blood." The platinum blonde stated, her blue eyes finding the one on the floor and the other half on the wall, half on the floor.

"One isn't Kirei's….is it?" Kiba asked, his gut cartwheeling on the inside at the thought of his friend and ex-girlfriend being injured, black eyes also looking over the crimson stains.

Being the resident Doctor and health expert, Sakura examined them. "There's no way to tell by looking at them. We'd have to take samples to the hospital and have the lab examine them." She explained, looking up to Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke.

The brunette nodded. "Then why don't you go ahead and do that?" He asked, looking to Sakura. "It'll help figure out what happened, and we'll continue to come up with theories."

She frowned. "It could take hours."

"Hours, days, weeks, months. Doesn't matter." He replied, eyes closed again. "So long as we know whose blood it is. It might put some of us," Eyes open for a moment, they flickered to a certain raven when he wasn't looking. "at ease."

She knew where his eyes went, knowing Sasuke might get a little more life back if he knew Kirei wasn't hurt. She nodded, taking her Kunai out of her side pocket and cutting the blood stained carpet in front of her. Once the small piece was removed, she marked it with an "F" for the floor piece. She did the same with the half wall, half carpet stain, although the mark for this one was "W" for the wall. "I'll be back as soon as I can with results." She nodded once more, samples in hand, and disappeared.

"Okay," Kiba started, sighing heavily as he sat on one of the steps. "So what now?"

"We continue on the best we can." Shikamaru answered, nodding to Naruto and Sasuke, letting them know to continue.

"When I got up here," Naruto began after a moment of silence and because he was the first up to the landing. "I went straight to my dad…and kinda froze. I didn't know what to do, at first."

"He asked where Kirei was." Sasuke interjected, voice still detached. "After that, I don't know what happened." He spoke with his eyes closed, as if he regretted it, and turned his head away from everyone.

"I called Tsunade after that." 'that' being Sasuke leaving. "And that's when he told me that he'd been poisoned by Orochimaru."

Everyone had already known by the briefing that it was Orochimaru – and Kabuto – that had attacked the Yondaime, but now, it was finally settling in for all of them. One more so than the rest.

"Orochimaru?" Ino questioned rather loud, blue eyes wide as she stared at the crimson carpet. She looked to her teammates, breathing starting to come quickly. "Is – is he after any of us? I mean, Sakura's already – already been taken once."

Shikamaru and Chouji could both see the fear in Ino's eyes and knew they had to calm her down.

"It's okay, Ino. He's not coming back." Chouji tried to calm her, setting a hand on her shoulder and rubbing it gently. He also set it there just in case she were to pass out.

She shook her head widely, breathing coming even faster. "He could – could come back after you!" She pointed to Hinata, who watched her in shock. She'd never seen Ino this frantic before. "Or after me! He's coming back – he's – "

All of a sudden, the blonde stopped. Her eyes rolled back as they closed, her body becoming limp and falling, her head rolling back. She'd passed out.

Thankfully, both Chouji and Shikamaru had caught their teammate and friend. "I knew she shouldn't've come." Chouji remarked, taking her into his arms. "This was too much for her."

"Why don't you guys take her into one of the spare rooms up here?" Naruto asked, motioning to one of the many spare rooms of the Manor.

Shifting her weight, the slight red head, slight brunette smiled to the Uzumaki. "Thanks, Naruto. I'm sure she'll be okay in a little bit." He followed with Ino as the blonde led him down the hall, to one of the empty rooms. "I'll stay with her so she doesn't freak out when she wakes up."

He nodded and closed the door behind the two, knowing Chouji couldn't do it himself.

"What happened to her?" Hinata asked with a tone of concern, watching her love come back down the hall.

The Nara sighed, running a hand over his face as he leaned against the wall. "She was nearly kidnapped on her last mission a few days ago." He explained. "She's been scared stiff of being kidnapped again and all this Orochimaru talk was probably scaring her shitless." He sighed again and resisted the urge to pull out a cigarette. "But we've got to get back to why we came up here."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Just like with Kirei, they all were worried and wanted to help Ino, but they had to figure out what happened and deal with one piece at a time.

"Where were we?" Kiba asked, looking around the group.

"The Yondaime told us that he was attached by Orochimaru." Sasuke reminded everyone, eyes still closed.

"Yeah." Naruto looked away from the raven, looking at the blood stained wall. "After that, I took him to the hospital. Then I called you guys."

"We have two theories, then." Shikamaru stated, eyes closed as he ran through both of them in his mind.

"Two?" Hinata questioned, figuring there'd be more than _**just**_ two.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes. Two theories."

There was a small silence before someone spoke.

"Well…are you going to tell us these "theories"?" Kiba asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew Shikamaru was smart, but did he really have any theories?

He kept his eyes closed, released one arm from their crossed position and raised one finger. "We can dismiss that Kirei was already here when the Yondaime was attacked. Therefore, the Yondaime had to have been hurt when she got here. Kirei was already alert when she entered the Manor, and left her bag on the kitchen table. Something made her come upstairs, where she found the Yondaime already hurt. This is where the theories differ." He explained.

Everyone looked to him, listening silently.

"Theory number one: Kirei was not aware that Orochimaru was there. He may have made himself unknown to her as she tried to help Minato. This first blood stain could be her own, because if she did try to help him, Orochimaru may have attacked her." He explained further.

That did not sit well in the hearts of the listening.

He raised a second finger. "Theory number two: Kirei was made aware early that it was Orochimaru who attacked her Uncle and tried to defend the two of them. Knowing the Yondaime as well as we all do, he must have tried to protect her even though he was already injured. We all know that Orochimaru hates the Hokage and the Namikaze line. He probably lashed out at the both of them and threw the Hokage against the wall, causing the second blood stain." He explained further.

Although they didn't like this theory any more than the last, it made more sense and relieved them that Kirei wasn't injured.

"One thing we know for sure, though," He continued, putting his arm back in its crossed position. "Is that Orochimaru took Kirei. We all know how much she means to Minato and to all of us, especially you, Sasuke." He looked to the raven. "He took her so that he could try to break all of us and to possibly get the Hokage position. Despite being a bit useless, Kirei has a high stature here. She could be the key to him achieving his goal."

"I won't let him." Sasuke growled, glaring at the floor. "I won't let him do anything to her. Even if it means my life."

"Which do you think is more plausible, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, blue eyes watching his very smart friend.

"The second one is more plausible. But we won't know until Sakura gets back, so we should probably go downstairs and wait for everyone to get back." He replied, turning and heading back downstairs to sit down. All of this thinking was really making him want to take a nice little nap.

"He's got a point." Hinata said, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, we have something of a definite answer for the media…and we really do need to find a Hokage for now." She set her hand on Naruto's shoulder, rubbing the muscle. "So let's go sit down and rest until they get back, okay?"

Looking into those clear eyes, he smiled slightly and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her neck sweetly. "Rest sounds good." He mumbled, half resting on her so that she wouldn't fall under his weight.

She smiled and held onto him, the arm around his shoulder petting his hair gently as she led him down the stairs. But before she got the whole way down, she turned, remembering a certain someone was still upstairs. "Kiba…" She looked to the brunette first. "Can you take him?"

The dog lover nodded, happy to help his exhausted blonde friend. "Sure."

She shifted her blonde to the Inuzuka and watched them walk down the stairs together before turning around and going back up to the landing. "You need your rest too."

The raven sighed. He knew better than to lie to the Hyuuga, because she already knew that he wasn't okay. She knew him well and that, he thought, was surely a downfall. "Fine." He answered, trying his best not to snap as he walked with the Hyuuga down the stairs and to the living room.

* * *

Few minutes passed before the rest of the group returned with more than enough pizza and pop to last the night. Of course, the Hokage kitchen had food, but no one felt like getting up and making something. Their minds were already overloaded with what had happened to the Hokage and they had much more to deal with.

While eating, the half of the group that had missed the theories was informed about the 2 they had come up with. They were also informed as to where Sakura, Ino and Chouji were.

The Hokage choosing only began as soon as everyone was finished eating. They were seated just like before, faces just a bit more solemn than usual. They couldn't joke around here. They were dealing with the very future of their hometown. Of the place they grew up.

They had to be serious.

"I think," Naruto began, leaning out of his chair to reach the coffee table in front of him, where a few napkins and a pencil were scattered. "instead of directly picking someone, we should – "

He was cut short as a poof of smoke appeared on the top of the coffee table.

"Kirei's okay!" Sakura cried as she waved the smoke away, jumping off the small table and to the floor. "I asked them to do the fastest blood test possible and both were the Yondaime's blood!" She exclaimed rather happily.

In the corner of the room, Sasuke sighed a quiet sigh of relief.

It was sad that Yondaime was hurt and that he'd bled out for so long, but to know that his Princess was unharmed was a happy thing.

"So that rules out the first theory." Shikamaru stated, looking around the room and nodding to Sakura, telling her to take her seat. "Now back to Hokage business…"

"What were you saying, Naruto?" Tenten asked, Sakura just as curious as she took her seat beside him.

He sighed, gathering up the napkins and the only pencil. "I think instead of directly picking someone right off the bat, we should just right down a few names. Then, we can go through each person and evaluate them." He suggested, blue eyes scanning the room.

"Sounds good to me." Shikamaru mumbled, falling on the back of the couch and allowing his head to fall over the back. "Less memorizing of people for me."

There were a few chuckles before it fell to approving silence.

"So we just throw out names?" Kiba asked, making sure he was understanding right.

Pencil in hand and ready, Naruto nodded. "Yep."

"Hatake Kakashi." Sasuke blurted out.

"Jiraiya." Shikamaru mumbled.

Sakura was next. "Tsunade."

"Gaara." Tenten suggested.

"Gai-sensei!!!" Lee exclaimed, raising his hand as he did so.

Naruto's hand, which had been writing the names and thinking about the responses to each, stopped. "Um…" He was not writing that name down. "Let's just go over these names first. We can always pick more later."

"First name's Kakashi, right?" Sakura asked, a smile on her face at the thought of her previous sensei becoming Hokage. "I think he'd make a fine Hokage."

"I fear his laziness." Shikamaru stated, eyes still closed, head in the same position.

Sitting beside him, Kiba let out a loud snort. "You mean like yours?"

"At least I admit it." He replied. "But honestly, Kakashi is a good candidate."

"I agree," Neji nodded his head. "and if we do choose him, we've got to talk to him about being so lazy and tardy."

Despite how sure everyone else seemed, the Hyuuga sitting next to Naruto did not feel as sure about this. It was just the 13 of them picking the new Hokage. There were no elders involved, nor were the people involved.

Unlike the show, where the "Lord of Fire", who didn't actually exist, and the village elders picked the next Hokage, the citizens were the ones who voted on their Hokage. Obviously, there were Ninja who tallied the final vote and were major influences, but it merely relied on the people.

She didn't think it right that the 13 of them decided solely for the people. "Guys?" And she'd make sure they were allowed to do this. "Is this…I mean, do you guys think this is right?"

Silence met her words.

"It's only the 13 of us here…and usually the people vote. Won't the people be angry and upset?" She asked further, clear eyes meeting the eyes of others in the room.

"I'm sure the media has already told of the Yondaime being injured." Raiha began, knowing how journalism worked, seeing as how she took classes and worked in journalism before.

"And because of that," Neji continued. "Konoha has got to be in a state of chaos. Because of that, we can rightfully say that we are doing what we believe is right. I mean, we are the next generation. We have the smartest minds here, making sure that we can pick a good Hokage without bias." He explained.

Grinning at her, Naruto entwined his hand with hers, leaned over and kissed her temple. "Don't worry so much," He told her, hoping to assure her. "we're doing the right thing."

She sighed a soft sigh, feeling much more reassured. They were doing what they thought was right and just. And because they were practically loved by the people, she was further sure that the people would agree with their decision. "So who's next?" She peered at the napkin. "…uh…Jiraiya."

"Oh, hell." Tenten sighed, knowing the grandfather of her blonde friend. "He'd make stalking legal."

"He'd join the damn baths too!" Sakura cried, agreeing with the bun haired girl that it might not be a great idea. "I mean, he'd get stuff done…but I don't know if that stuff would be very helpful to Konoha."

"It would spread youth!" Lee cried, standing. He then fell, thanks to Tenten pulling on his arm hard enough to send him to the floor.

There were a few chuckles and laughs around the room, knowing that that was quite true.

"He can't." Naruto interjected after a few seconds. "He's up at Myobokuzan…and even though it usually takes a month to get back, it'd take him a couple months with his age and all." He explained, wondering what his Grandfather would do if he _**were**_ here.

Shino grimaced. "Konoha cannot wait a couple months."

"No, it can't." Shikamaru agreed, lifting his arms behind his head. "Tsunade's next, right?"

"Yes," Sakura answered, smiling. Tsunade was like an Aunt to Sakura; she'd taught her so much at the hospital that Sakura wouldn't be where she was without the grandmother. She knew that Tsunade would make a wonderful Hokage. "and I think Tsunade would be a great Hokage."

Most everyone knew Sakura was going to continue, so they let her speak.

"She's amazing at being able to make quick decisions and she can get things done quickly if needed. As I can see it, Anbu aren't much different than nurses – in the respect that they are like the lifeline of the hospital or Konoha – and that interns are just like Ninja. They both do missions that are assigned to them by the head of the Hospital, or by the Hokage of Konoha." She explained, making sure her points were easily understood.

Almost everyone agreed with her. They didn't know Tsunade as well as she did, but it seemed to them that she was a very good candidate. She could assign missions and push laws and bills through that were the best of Konoha.

Although, one did not agree.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, leaning over slightly and setting his head in his hands. He knew better than anyone that Sakura was right. But he couldn't let her become Hokage. "We can't."

Sakura was the first to react, head turning toward him, eyebrows furrowed. "What? Why?" She asked quickly, as if his refusal was insulting to her and her mentor.

"Do any of you realize how stressful it is to be Hokage?" He asked, already knowing he'd get silence as his answer. He kept his eyes within his hands. "Her son is in the hospital. In a coma because of her former teammate." He spoke with so much worry and stress. "Her only granddaughter is missing with that former teammate, probably going to be tortured."

Sasuke winced, remembering this fact about the Snake Sannin.

Naruto spoke with so much emotion that Hinata thought he might actually cry. "We can't make her Hokage. She's already got enough stress on her to make her sick. If she gets any more stress put upon her, I'm afraid to see what would happen. Granny may be a strong woman, but no one can deal with that much pressure." He explained, shaking his head. "I can't lose her too."

Hinata set a comforting hand upon his back, rubbing gently. "Okay, Naruto." She was quick to realize how he felt. "Tsunade won't be Hokage. Okay?" She looked to everyone, getting approving nods.

They couldn't live with themselves knowing they'd possibly put one of the only living family members of Naruto in danger. That wasn't fair to him.

It took a few moments, but the blonde gathered himself and exhumed his face. "Gaara's next."

"We all know Gaara would make a good Hokage," Neji began, not knowing the redhead personally, but knowing the Kazekage's work ethic.

"Because he's already a Kage." Kiba cut him off. "He knows how to deal with everything that comes with the Kage position."

"I don't think that's where Neji was going." Shino said, nodding to the longhaired Hyuuga to continue.

Neji nodded in return. "I don't think it would be good to choose him as Hokage. Right now, the city of Konoha is weak. We need someone to be Hokage that can reassure the people that everything will be all right. Granted, Gaara would be a great Hokage, I believe that the people would become worried and a little disheartened. We should pick someone within our own country, within our own city to be Hokage. The people would feel more at ease with someone they are familiar with." He explained, winning the favor of every person in the room.

There was no arguing that Neji was right. They had to pick someone within the city so that the people would not doubt or fear. Or else, the city might fall to chaos.

"So then who are we going to choose?" Kiba asked, his voice slightly angered. "So far, we've shot down everyone but maybe Kakashi!"

"Then we just pick more people and evaluate them." Shikamaru replied calmly, still laying his head back.

"That'll take more time than we have." Hinata argued, knowing time was of the essence.

"Than we need to pick someone!" Sakura said urgently, tension rising in the room.

Tenten narrowed her eyes at the pink haired. "But we have to make sure they're a good person! We can't just randomly pick someone!"

Arguing began within the group of friends, but to one, it had fallen upon deaf ears.

Naruto still held his head within his hands, eyes closed as he blocked out the sounds of screams and yells. He should've known that at one point, the tension would've been too much and everyone would've started fighting.

But was it really that hard to pick a Hokage? A person who could run the village with the support of its people, along with protecting those people? It didn't seem that hard to him, but maybe it was just because he was able to see the best in people. Like how amazing his father was.

He could get a law passed within a few hours. He could send out a team to the Land of Waves and have the information he needed from them within the hour. He knew what teams were best at what they did. He knew every little detail about the Village; all its ins and outs. Obviously, it wasn't going to be easy to pick someone as great as the Yondaime.

Something hit Naruto faster than one of Sasuke's punches could have.

He was the Yondaime's son. One of the most known people within Konoha. One of the most loved, too. He may not know the village like his father did, or the teams for that matter, but he knew a little. He knew how his father ran things, since he'd been with him since the day he was born. He also knew that the people would accept him.

He could be Hokage.

Not Godaime; no, he couldn't be a new Hokage. But he could be an Interim Hokage until his father was well enough to regain his place as Yondaime.

Taking his head from his hands, tired eyes recovering some life, he surveyed the room.

Everyone was still fighting, to the point where Sakura was now standing, shaking her fist at the still lying Shikamaru. What else should he expect? They were just trying to do what they saw fit, since they all loved Konoha.

He cleared his throat as he stood and set a hand on Sakura's shoulder, beckoning her to sit. "I'll do it."

Silence engulfed the room as Naruto held everyone's attention.

"Obviously, we can't agree on one person good enough." He said with a bit of a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "So I'm gonna do it. I already know pretty much how my father did all that he did, and I probably know more than anyone we could pick." He looked at everyone in the room. "I don't know as much about the teams, but we all know that the people would support it."

Glances were cast to the others, silently coming to agree with the blonde.

"I won't be Godaime, but more of a…temporary Hokage until my father comes back." He continued, hoping they would accept. He couldn't force them to make him Hokage, after all.

Beside him, Sakura looked up in worry. "But what if he doesn't – "

The Uzumaki did not look at her, eyes looking up at the office where his father worked tirelessly. "He's coming back." He assured, voice confident. "I know he is."

She shot glances to everyone, all of them knowing that he was more assuring himself than any one of them. It must have shaken the blonde to the core when he found his father nearly dead, and even more so when he learned that his only immediate relative was in a coma.

Hardened blue eyes shied away from the office and softened, coming down to look at the floor in front of him. "But I don't think…" He began, voice much softer. "I can do this by myself."

He knew from the first thought of being Hokage for his father that he would need help. He had no doubt in his mind that he'd have to ask for it.

Listening to every word that his friends had said in silence, the raven in the corner of the room stood, shoving his hands in his pockets and closing his eyes as he walked over to the blonde.

He had heard everything and chose to stay silent, brooding over his loss. But he knew from experience – even though he didn't want to have this experience of loosing someone – that loosing Kirei was everyone's loss. The only thing they could do was to come together.

And come together they would.

Now standing in front of the blonde, smirking at the confused look in blue eyes, Sasuke retracted his hand from his pocket, setting it out for a handshake. "We'll be with you every step of the way." His eyes were lacking much life and color, but there was something within the onyx depths that was the same within everyone's eyes.

Hope.

With a smile and a slight nod, Naruto took the Uchiha's hand into his own, shaking it before pulling his best friend into a hug. "Thanks." He said, not just Sasuke, but to everyone.

Sasuke thanked God that he was released rather quickly from the hug, but instead of walking back to his seat in the corner, he stayed near his friend.

"What do we do now, Hokage?" Shikamaru asked with a smirk, finally sitting up.

The grin that had become the Uzumaki grin was set upon Naruto's face. "We prepare for the conference."

* * *

Almost three hours later, Naruto walked back inside the Manor, running a hand through his hair and sighing before taking the annoying earpiece out of his ear. "Thanks for feeding me the speech, Shikamaru." He said as he walked down the steps and into the living room.

Taking the earpiece out of his own ear, Shikamaru nodded. "We all know it would've been too troublesome to have you remember all of it."

Plopping onto the couch, since Shino and Kiba had given up their seats, Naruto sighed a heavy and tired sigh. He let his eyes slip shut as his mind went over how well the conference had gone.

Overall, he thought, it had gone pretty well. Like they had all thought, the reporters along with some civilians who had shown up were in a frenzy, wondering this and that about the Yondaime and what was going to happen to Konoha.

Naruto explained that he would be an Interim Hokage that he would oversee anything that had to do with the Village and its protection. He would also enlist the help of his friends and anyone else who proved helpful, so that it wasn't just one person making decisions. It would be a collective of sharp minds that would run the large and powerful city.

He also explained what they believed happened to his father and his cousin. He went through both theories that they have thought of, but said that they believed the second one was correct.

There was only one time in Naruto's speech that deviated from the words on the paper and the ones in his ear.

One reporter had the audacity to say that Kirei being kidnapped was the same as last time. She'd be back in safe arms and wasn't in trouble at all. It was just like last time, he believed.

The Uzumaki was quick to correct him. Kirei being kidnapped was not like last time. She was with Orochimaru now. Ramada was a man who was obsessed and in love with Kirei; he never had any intention to harm her. Hell, he'd even saved her life.

Orochimaru on the other hand, was ruthless. He'd do anything to Kirei so long as she remained within an inch of her life if it meant that he would get Hokage.

He didn't want to say it, but Naruto said that Kirei may not return alive. He promised that Orochimaru would die by his hand for injuring his father and taking his cousin. He was sure of that.

"Naruto…" Sakura reached out, wanting to wake the sleeping blonde to tell him what they'd just decided.

Hinata was quick to catch her hand. "Let him sleep," She said softly, clear eyes watching her blonde sleep. "He might not get a lot in the upcoming days."

Sasuke nodded, already knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep. "I'll keep my eye on him. You guys go ahead and get your stuff and we'll rearrange the room when you come back." He told them, gently kicking the blonde's foot. "I'm sure he won't wake up anyway."

With a nod, almost everyone left for home to get a few pairs of clothes to have for the next day, seeing as how they would be staying the night, save for Hinata and Sakura. Hinata stayed because she already had a change of clothes in the Manor and because she wanted to stay close to her love.

Sakura didn't have a change of clothes, but she did have something to say before she left. "Sasuke," She wasn't startled to see the half tired, half emotionless look on his face. "I know it may not seem easy, but you've got to try to get some sleep too."

He nodded to her, but not accepting her words. "I won't. We all know that. I can't sleep without her."

She opened her mouth to retort.

"I know you want to help, Sakura. But right now, this is something I have to deal with on my own. There is no help for me." He answered, closing his eyes and turning away from her before walking up the stairs and to the room Chouji and Ino were still in. He needed to let them know what was going on.

Defeated, Sakura turned to her friend, who was sitting with her blonde, stroking his hair as he slept. "I know he's not going to like it," She shook her head. "But I'm going to call Yamato."

The Hyuuga knew Sasuke would fight tooth and nail not to go back to therapy, but maybe Yamato could help.

They could only hope Yamato could help.


	10. Hysteria

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ So school has started for everyone....making things much harder or easier, depending on how you see it. My classes are fairly easy and I've been able to keep up with writing (actually, I've been writing more! :D) I would have had this chapter up sometime over the weekend, but ff was being weird and not letting me upload the document. Well, here it is now. :D I don't have much more to say, other than a question. On , can we publish stories of our own making? I know there's a Misc. category, but I'm not clear on that. If anyone could let me know, thanks 3 Enjoy the chapter!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 10 – Hysteria_

* * *

Her head felt heavy.

Her _**body**_ felt heavy.

Kirei didn't understand why her body felt the way it did as she slowly came back to consciousness. She deemed that she was sitting, slightly able to feel her numb and cold legs below her. Her stomach felt like it was on fire and doing cartwheels – almost like how she felt when she would puke – while her head throbbed painfully, thoughts sluggish and foggy.

But there was one thought that was clear. Her hands felt much heavier than they should. It almost felt like there was something upon her wrists, holding her down.

Discarding the thought because it hurt her throbbing head, Kirei decided it'd be best to figure out where she was and why she was there, since she couldn't remember.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know she was in a room that was dark and cold. She had a fleeting thought that she might be underground, but decided to look around and check before making any conclusion.

Upon opening her eyes, she found two things after her eyes focused. Darkness and rock. It wasn't hard to tell that the walls were made of rock, seeing as how her back was against one of those walls. And seeing as how the rocks were damp, it furthered her suspicion that she was underground.

Other than that, Kirei wasn't sure as to what was in the room. She couldn't make out anything other than a staircase on the far side of the room. Although, she wasn't even sure it was a staircase. It did mean one thing, though.

Damp rocks, a cool atmosphere and a staircase all led her to believe she was underground. She _**had**_ to be. There was no other explanation for it, unless of course, someone built an upstairs rock room with its own air conditioning, which was crazy.

Now that she had some idea as to where she was, Kirei thought it best that she try to move, hoping it would get rid of the heavy feeling she had and further her suspicion that she was underground. She wouldn't try to get up, already knowing she'd probably collapse, but moved her feet underneath her in case she did have to run and to try to keep her warm. Next, she began moving her hands, and stopped dead when she heard something strange.

Clinking sounds. Like metal moving against metal.

Knowing her eyes wouldn't help in the darkness, she pulled her right hand forward. After a distance shortly out of her full reach, her hand jerked back, all movement accompanied by that same clinking sound.

Sighing softly, Kirei finally realized why her hands had felt so heavy and why there were clinking sounds when she moved. She was shackled and chained to the wall behind her.

Before the blonde could remember that she'd been kidnapped yet again, the door at the top of the stairs opened, light from the upstairs blinding blue eyes.

"I wonder if our little mouse is awake." A silky voice spoke as it descended the stairs.

It was accompanied by another, more emotionless voice. "She should be. The paralysis should've worn off by now." His footsteps followed the first.

Eyes slowly adjusting to the bright like, Kirei knew she knew those voices. They were so familiar, yet she couldn't place them.

Noticing the movement of the blonde's eyes, Orochimaru's pale lips broke into a sly smile. "I see you are finally awake, Namikaze." He continued to walk over to her, kneeling before the blonde he despised.

Kirei slowly went into shock as she realized exactly who was in front of her. Hoping it wasn't true in the least, she opened her eyes only slightly and looked to him in front of her. Her heart dropped as she saw the black hair and yellow eyes of Orochimaru.

Seeing her reaction and that now, she'd probably go into a frenzy, the snake smiled. Torture was so much fun to watch. "You've been unconscious for a while now. It's about time you wake up." He told her, eyes watching her every move.

Letting out the first of several pants out of shock, Kirei tried to regain control of her body and thoughts. She wanted to freak out. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest, her eyes wanting to cry as her mouth screamed sobs. But she couldn't. She had to remember that this wasn't Ramada she was dealing with. This was Orochimaru.

Losing control of yourself meant losing everything you had. She had to remain calm – or fake calm – at any cost.

Realizing that she wasn't going to slip into hysterics, the smile on the Sannin's face vanished. "We kidnapped you, Namikaze." He told her, hoping it would make her freak out like he wanted her to.

She dare not open her eyes. "I know." She replied, nodding her head slightly.

Kabuto raised an eyebrow, also surprised by the girl's calmness. "You were paralyzed before I knocked you out. I stopped your nervous system with my chakra, which is probably why you feel so odd." He told her, wondering if it would help to make her composure falter.

Okay, so there was a reason she felt horrible. At least one thing made sense. But one thing did not. "Why did you kidnap me?"

The snake recoiled slightly, eyes watching the blonde in front of him. Why? He'd never been asked that question before. This mouse was definitely different than any prisoner he'd had captive before. "Why?" He repeated, tilting his head. She should already know why. "You've never heard the story, have you?"

Kabuto sighed out of boredom. How he hated stories. Especially this one.

"Years before you were born, when I was a Konoha Ninja under the tutelage of Sarutobi, I had the chance of becoming Hokage. The most powerful Ninja in the Land of Fire. The ruler of Konoha." He began, watching the younger Namikaze. "Taught under Sarutobi, I was the best. I excelled at everything I did."

Kirei listened quietly, not knowing the story in its entirety, or at all for that matter.

"But someone excelled even more than myself and took the position I worked hard and longed for right out from under my nose!" He snarled, holding back his anger. "Your damn Uncle waltzed along and took what was rightfully mine!"

So that was why Orochimaru hated the Namikaze's – mainly her Uncle – so much. He believed that Minato had taken the position from him. But she knew better than believing the snake, knowing that Sarutobi was a wise old man. He would've picked the person best suited for the job.

Breathing through his nose, the snake regained control of his anger, eyes looking at the blonde as his smile grew. "And I took you, dear mouse," He smiled, hoping this would scare her when nothing else had. "to make your Uncle understand that he will never see you again unless he relinquishes Hokage to me."

Kirei knew her Uncle would never do such a thing. "He won't do it." She mumbled, keeping her sight away from him.

"Oh," He spoke, voice sly and feminine as he raised a finger to her jaw, tracing it along smooth skin. Reaching her chin, he raised her head so that she could not look away. "I'm sure he will for a pretty thing like you."

Her eyes were open now, looking into those yellow eyes that scared her to death and back. But she wouldn't let him know she was scared. She wouldn't let him touch her, either. "I'll die before you become Hokage." Gathering up her courage, Kirei opened her jaw in an attempt to bite the finger of the Sannin.

Unfortunately for her, his reflexes were much faster as he pulled his hand away, smile turning downward. "Damn Namikaze!" He cried, same hand flying across the blonde's smooth cheek with a crack.

Kabuto sighed again. Great. A prisoner who wasn't going to obey. This was going to be fun.

Standing out of rage as the mouse hung by her chains, Orochimaru resisted the urge to snap her neck. "You are mine now, Namikaze. I can do with you what I want and no one here will stop me."

He could see from the glare in her eyes that she did not believe that.

Furious, he turned away from her, heading back toward the stairs. "Kabuto," He commanded. "Make her understand that she is mine now."

Finally. Something to do. A smile set upon his face, the medic ninja turned to the girl. "With pleasure."

* * *

Hanging from her chains, Kirei could taste the small amount of blood that seeped into her mouth from the wound on her lip.

Having enjoyed beating the annoying Namikaze, Kabuto was in happy spirits. "I think that's enough for now." He said, shaking out his stinging hand. "We can't kill you off on the first beating, can we?"

She remained silent, slightly snarling her lip as she spit the blood out of her mouth.

In turn, the medic Ninja slapped her across the face, making her lean the other way. "You will answer when you are spoken to!" He exclaimed, eyes narrowed in anger.

Kirei just let it happen. She knew better than to fight back and with these chains, she couldn't do anything anyway. "Whatever." She mumbled, spitting out more blood and ignoring the pain from her cheek.

Kabuto raised his hand once more, but after a thought, held back. "You know," He began, lowering his hand. "I'll give you a word of advice since you're going to be here for a while. You best listen, mouse."

Panting softly, the blonde didn't move from her hanging position, choosing to look at her beater from the corner of her eye.

He crossed his arms, lips turned down. "Orochimaru hates defiance with a passion. He couldn't care less who you are or where you're from. So long as you stay like this, defiant and unwilling to relinquish control to him, you'll be beaten and tortured. But if you were to allow him to control you and do whatever he pleases, your stay here will be much less painful." He advised.

Like she was going to let that happen. The only person she'd ever let take over her was Sasuke and Orochimaru was _**not**_ Sasuke.

"My other piece of advice," He continued, still frowning. "is not to become boring. The boring don't last long, and despite what you think…Orochimaru can and will kill you if he wants to. He doesn't care what happens to anyone so long as it's beneficial to him."

There was a few minutes silence before Kirei spoke. "Thanks." She said, knowing it was useless, but since he had given her advice, she thought it right to thank him.

He smiled a wicked smile, turning and heading back up the stairs. "Don't thank me just yet." With a slam of the door, Kabuto was gone.

Sighing, Kirei finally relaxed, leaning against the cool rock wall and slowly sliding down it until she was sitting. She remained against the wall, thankful that the chains holding her had a fairly long reach, or else her hands wouldn't be lying in her lap peacefully. She spit out the extra blood that had gathered from her lip and licked the wound until it bled no more.

After that, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall, thinking about what Kabuto had told her. She already knew that Orochimaru was a selfish bastard, but there was no way in hell she was going to conform to him.

Thinking about it now, compared to what had already happened, being with Ramada seemed like a piece of cake. Although, she had to thank him, because now she knew what it was like to be away from loved ones and how to act.

It wasn't like she _**wanted**_ to have experience in this field, but it was good experienced to have nonetheless. The only thing she would go back and change is how she became.

Before Ramada, when she first moved to Konoha and met Sasuke, she was a somewhat confident girl. She was scared to hell and back when it came to rain and thunder, but other than that, she wasn't shy in the least.

But after Ramada, she became much more reserved. She was quiet almost all of the time and became someone she wasn't. Quiet and disconnected wasn't who she was. She was a Namikaze, a loud and happy girl, who, like her cousin, wore a grin on her face.

She knew the change had taken place during her time at the fake Akatsuki and speculated it was because she was alone most of the time. She had no one – other than Itachi, but he was usually gone – to talk to or to be with. She'd gotten too used to being alone so she became the quiet Namikaze.

But now, now that she knew what it was like to be kidnapped and away from her loved ones for so long, Kirei swore that no matter what happened, she wouldn't become that quiet person. She wouldn't let anyone, beatings or not, change who she was.

The only thing she truly hoped was that regardless of what happened to her, physical scarring or the change in her, Sasuke would still love her all the same.

Tears beginning to form in the blonde's eyes, she opened them, mouth dropping open.

_**Sasuke**_.

Inhaling sharply and rolling her lips despite the pain, Kirei tried to hold back her tears.

Her mind flooded with thoughts of her raven, making her heart ache and her tears harder to hold back.

He was probably a wreck by now, knowing that Orochimaru was the one who had take –

Wait. How could they know that? When she'd been knocked out, the Yondaime was alone. He was dying!

For all she knew, the Yondaime was dead and everyone else was left without a clue as to where she was.

Realizing that she might never be found and that she might never see her beloved again, tears rolled down the blonde's cheeks, eyes squeezing shut.

"No," She began after a few moments, shaking her still aching head. "I can't think like that." Breath going through her nose, she slowly calmed down enough to rationalize her thoughts.

Someone must have found the Yondaime, dead or alive. With that, they would've known someone attacked him and begun to examine the house for any other clues.

As a thought popped into the blonde's mind, her teary eyes opened. "I left my bag on the table." She mumbled, realizing that maybe, just maybe, they knew she was gone.

If they knew she was gone, and by some slim chance knew that Orochimaru had kidnapped her, they would do the best they could to get her back.

Sasuke would do anything to get her back, no matter if it was the man he feared the most holding her.

Feeling her heart lighten a bit although her body was screaming out in pain, Kirei closed her eyes and relaxed, knowing that there wasn't much hope.

But there was some. And sometimes, just that little bit of hope is all you need.

* * *

Few days had passed since the unveiling of the injured Hokage and the conference that had calmed the city of Konoha. Anyone walking the streets could tell that the people were not completely at ease with the situation. There was also a small feeling of dread accompanying the town.

Despite being the new Hokage, Naruto knew there was little to nothing he could do to raise spirits other than providing news to the people whenever he had it for them. Another way to help the city was brought up by Shikamaru, who had stayed at the Manor like everyone else had.

They'd all spent their nights there since the Yondaime had been injured, knowing that Naruto and Sasuke needed all the support they could get. Plus, they really didn't want to leave Sasuke alone at the loft.

What Shikamaru had suggested was that they continue filming, no matter how they felt about it. The town had grown to love their Ninja actors and enjoyed watching the TV show. The more filming they did, the more episodes there were and the happier the people would be.

It didn't take long for the order to be carried out by the new Hokage, and now, midday was upon them on their first filming day.

They'd already gotten through the first half of the day without any hitches, but slowly, they began to notice something strange about the Uchiha.

It wasn't that he was unemotional or antisocial – like they thought he would be – but he was very jumpy and skittish, which was not like him. He was a calm, very alert person, always knowing who was around him even if he hadn't seen them.

But that was not the case. Whenever someone had come up to him at a blind angle, or even from the side where he could see them, he jumped when he noticed them.

The first time it'd happened, they couldn't believe what they'd heard.

Hinata was the first to experience the skittish Uchiha in the early morning hours. She had seen him standing a few feet from the food table and seeing the spaced out look on his face, decided to go over and check on him.

It surprised her when he didn't immediately notice her presence, but shrugged it off. Maybe the lack of sleep was starting to affect him. "Hey, Sasuke."

Surprised by the sudden voice close to him, the raven snapped back into reality, jumping slightly as he looked around to find the voice.

Hinata thought she was going to faint.

"Hey, Hinata." He replied after a moment of silence, seeing the Hyuuga beside him. He spoke as if there was nothing wrong; as if nothing strange had happened.

Clear eyes blinked. Sasuke jumped. _**Uchiha**_ Sasuke had _**jumped**_.

Creasing his eyebrows, Sasuke leaned closer to the blue haired girl and called out to her. "Hinata? Are you all right?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Blinking once more, she focused her thoughts and gave a smile to the raven. "Sorry, I spaced out." She answered, waving her hand. "I just wanted to say hello."

He nodded to her, wondering why she was acting a little odd.

Turning away from him, Hinata walked right toward the one person other than Naruto who might have a clue as to why he jumped. "Sakura," She called, interrupting the rosette's conversation with Ino and Shikamaru. "would you come here for a second?"

The green eyed smiled and nodded, bidding good-byes to Shikamaru and Ino before walking over. "What's up, Hinata?" She immediately took notice of the worried look on her face.

She took no time getting to the point. "Sasuke jumped."

Sakura tilted her head slightly, ruffling her brows. "Jumped?" She repeated, quite confused.

"Jumped as in, he was scared, Sakura. I went over to talk to him and he didn't notice me until I said something. When I did, he jumped like I'd startled him." She explained, watching the confused reaction of Sakura's become slightly shocked.

Despite her worry as she glanced over to her friend and teammate, the Medic nin knew not to overreact right away. Just because he'd done it once doesn't mean he was going to do it again. "Is this the first time he's jumped?" She asked, not letting her sight linger on him.

Hinata nodded. "It's a first for me." She answered.

"Alright then…why don't you, nonchalantly, ask around? If it's only the first time, it may just be a coincidence." She said, somehow knowing that there was something more at work. "But if it does happen again, let me know."

For the next few days, anyone who approached the Uchiha was met with a startled jump before he seemingly returned to normal. But that "normalness" did not last long. Within a couple days, the jumps were accompanied by fits of angry mumbling and – dare they think it – fear.

No one wanted to make Sasuke do something about it, already knowing how much he despised therapy. But it soon became apparent that something had to be done whether the Uchiha liked it or not.

* * *

Anyone with eyes could see the dark circles under Sasuke's equally dark eyes and the look of fear within them. He remained on alert at all times, although he never seemed to notice when someone was right beside him. Only when they'd speak to him would they get a response, which was usually a jump and incoherent, angry mumbles.

Worried for the raven and for their own sakes, everyone kept a sharp eye upon Sasuke, hoping that he'd wise up and do something about it, yet knowing he wouldn't.

Like always on sunny days, the group hung under one of the many large trees, reveling in the shade. They were chatting in between takes, giving the crew time to set up the cameras for their angles and run through what they wanted to do next.

Also like always, Sasuke was a few feet away, looking off into space, movements quick and fleeting as if he was waiting for someone to jump out and attack him.

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" Naruto asked the group he was with, blue eyes watching the raven with confusion.

"You haven't been here to notice," Sakura began, looking over to Sasuke with worry in her eyes. "But Sasuke's been acting…odd." She tried to find the right word to explain since Naruto had been too busy with paperwork to visit the film grounds.

He titled his head. "Is he turning emo again?"

"No," Hinata answered, unable to watch him. "or at least, we don't think. He's been skittish ever since we've come back to the film grounds. It's like he's scared of something and whenever we ask, he snaps at us." She explained, eyes looking to her boyfriend.

His expression was rather upset, eyes scanning his best friend. "I'll go talk to him." He said, slightly upset that their friends hadn't done anything yet.

Sure, Sasuke was an asshole. He wasn't easy to deal with. But when it came to his mental health something had to be done. And Naruto would make sure it was done. He'd already lost more than he could bear. He couldn't lose Sasuke too.

The group could only watch their Hokage walk away, hoping that the raven wouldn't snap on him.

Naruto walked up to him slowly, eyes examining the raven to see if he was truly doing the things he'd been accused of.

He definitely was acting like he was on high alert, head darting back and forth, unable to see his eyes since the raven's back was to him. Even his joints were locked, right hand shaking slightly as it hung close to his kunai. Despite these few things, the blonde had to admit that something was wrong.

Shrugging it all off in hopes that it wasn't true, Naruto put on the usual grin he had and outstretched his hand, going to pat the Uchiha on his back. "Hey, Teme!"

Before the blonde's hand could make contact with his friend's shoulder, Sasuke jumped as if he'd been stabbed and whipped around, right hand grabbing his kunai. In the blink of an eye, he launched himself at Naruto, knocking the Uzumaki to the ground and pointing the kunai at his throat. "You won't take me!" He cried, eyes wide and alive with hysteria.

The group had been silently watching and at this, ran over, separating the two. Neji and Kiba did their best to hold back Sasuke, who was struggling against their grip, trying to break free.

Sitting there, his cloak bunched below him, Naruto stared at Sasuke, eyes wide. He couldn't believe it. Sasuke had attacked him.

Shikamaru and Chouji soon attached themselves to the still fighting Uchiha, all four doing their best to keep him away from Naruto.

Still staring, the blonde didn't believe his eyes. This wasn't Sasuke. "Teme!!" He yelled as loud as he could, quickly standing up and raising his fist.

While the others held Sasuke still, Naruto took two steps and let his fist collide with the raven's face, knocking him flat on his ass.

Within a few seconds, the Uchiha shook his head and blinked his eyes. "What the hell just happened?" He mumbled, rubbing his cheek. He felt like he just got hit by a train!

Mouths were agape, eyes wide. He didn't remember a thing!

"You almost killed me!" Naruto replied angrily, helping his best friend to his feet. "I came to talk to you about this skittish, jumpy shit and you pulled a kunai on me!"

He stepped away from the blonde, shaking his head. "I did – "

Sakura stepped forward to his stepping away. "Sasuke, this is getting out of hand." She began, worried for her friend. "You've been like this for a while now and we can't help but think – "

His glare was set upon her in a flash. "I'm not getting therapy." He growled adamantly, knowing they were thinking as such.

"We're not saying you're crazy." Shikamaru told him, voice having an underlying grave tone. "we just think that you need to talk some of this stuff out to someone who can offer advice and get you help."

Sasuke opened his mouth to snarl a reply, but was cut off by Sakura.

"Sasuke, please!" She yelled, closing her eyes. "I've already placed in a favor with Yamato and he's willing to help you again – "

The moment she'd said Yamato's name, Sasuke closed his eyes, face scrunched in rage as his fists shook. "I will never go back to therapy, especially with him!" He bellowed. "I already closed the door on that part of my life and I'm not opening it again!"

Before anyone could reason with the angered Uchiha – or stop him – he vanished, leaving worried glances and upset friends.

* * *

He wasn't crazy.

The thought had been on repeat in Sasuke's mind ever since he left the film grounds a few minutes ago.

Despite how he was feeling, it was a bright and sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. A breeze blew through the nearly empty streets of Konoha, making the sun quite bearable. Hopefully, the nice conditions and lack of people would help Sasuke figure out what exactly was wrong with him.

But whatever it was, he was not, under any circumstance, going to therapy. He certainly didn't need a therapist – especially Yamato – to help him. A walk was good enough to help him think things through.

He couldn't deny that there _**was**_ something wrong with him if he was so paranoid to attack his best friend. But he had every reason to be paranoid. Orochimaru was a snake. He was the bastard that had attacked him when he was a child, the Sannin's intent still unknown to this day. He was the only man that Sasuke feared, and right now, that fear was immense.

Not only was it scary that the Yondaime was in a coma because of the Sannin, but the now walking raven had a theory that also scared him to death. It was apparent ever since he'd gotten to sit down and think about it, that Orochimaru wasn't just going after Naruto and the Yondaime. He was going after the people close to Sasuke, too.

The first to be kidnapped was Karin, Sasuke's friend and "teammate". Soon after that was Sakura, Sasuke's best friend and girlfriend at the time. And now, it was Kirei, who he couldn't even imagine living without.

The Uchiha had to wonder if Orochimaru was trying to get him too, which, now that he thought about it, was probably part of the root and stem of his paranoia.

As the raven walked and thought, his eyes had focused upon a person – male or female he wasn't sure of because they weren't facing him – that had long, silky black hair and a very pale complexion.

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks. "It can't be…" He mumbled softly, body stiffening as he watched the person with wide eyes, hands shaking inside his pockets.

Turning around, the black haired woman beckoned her child to her and both went on their merry way, getting supplies for dinner.

Closing his eyes and sighing in pure relief, Sasuke continued walking, taking a turn absentmindedly.

Okay. So maybe his problems were deeper than he thought.

Whatever they were or however deep they were, he hoped they would be gone soon, so that all this therapy talk would go away. He knew his friends only suggested it because they cared for him and they were worried for a repeat of last year. But the more important part of it that they didn't understand was that Sasuke didn't want therapy.

He'd already closed the door on that part of his past and he was not willing to open it again.

* * *

Twilight had descended upon Konoha, allowing the remaining Ninja at the film grounds to return home before heading to the Hokage Manor to, once again, spend the night there.

Although, one Kunoichi did not head home. She went to the loft, hoping to find a certain raven haired Ninja who had never returned to the film grounds.

Standing at the front door, Sakura knew that Sasuke didn't want therapy. He didn't want to go back to Yamato at any cost, even if it meant going crazy. But she couldn't let him go crazy. She wouldn't.

Her worry for the Uchiha outweighed her fear of him.

So, gathering her courage to face him, Sakura let out a heavy sigh, raising her hand and knocking on the door. "Sasuke?" She asked, hoping he would answer her.

It was a few moments, but there was an answer. "Go away, Sakura." The Uchiha's annoyed voice replied. He came to the loft in hopes that he'd be left alone, but apparently, that was not the case.

She closed her eyes in relief that he was home. Now she just had to get through his thick skull. "Not until we talk." She said rather adamantly, crossing her arms. "So you better open that door or I won't leave this spot."

Silence was her answer.

She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Sasuke. I just want to talk, that's all."

The door still did not open.

"Please?"

Sasuke couldn't believe he was actually putting his hand on the handle and opening the door for his pink haired friend. But if she just wanted to talk, then he could kick her out at any time. "Happy?" He asked as she made her way inside.

A small, relieved smile was on her face as she walked inside, eyes examining the room. It wasn't a huge living room like the Manor, but it felt just as comfortable. And it seemed to her that Sasuke had been in the middle of something, since there was a paused movie on the tv screen.

She stared at it for a second before realizing the movie. "Beauty and the Beast?" She asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at her friend, her smile widening.

His coal eyes looked away from hers, face blank of emotion other than a ghost of embarrassment. "It's Kirei's favorite movie." He mumbled, walking over to the tv and shutting it off. Since the dvd player was a separate device, he could return to the movie whenever this "talk" was over.

"Oh." Sakura began, eyes deflecting from the Uchiha as she moved to the space between the couch and coffee table. "Sorry for interrupting…but I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes."

"Few minutes or not," Sasuke turned away from the tv, facing Sakura from across the coffee table. "If this has anything to do with therapy or Yamato, you can just get out now." His words were sharp and angered.

But Sakura was used to it. She'd known the Uchiha since their pre-teen days and back then, he was much angrier. "I'm not leaving until we get to talk, Sasuke. Whether you like it or not, your mental health is important to all of us. Do you realize how worried we all were when you left and never came back?" She asked.

He almost snarled. "If I would've gone back, I would've dealt with little quips and snips about going to therapy from you guys." Slowly, his words were becoming graver and more infuriated. "But none of you get the point that I don't want to go back, and I won't."

Her eyes never shifted from his, in contrast, they became harder. "I know that you don't want to go back, Sasuke." Her look softened when she saw his barely shocked face. "But sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to."

Honestly. Was Sasuke really going to have to listen to one of her pep-up talks again?

He opened his mouth, intent to tell her to leave, but was quickly and sharply put in his place.

"Kirei knew that." Her eyes were still soft, knowing that talking about Kirei wasn't easy for him all the time. Her words were equally soft. "She knew that better than anyone, I think. A year ago, she didn't want to go with Ramada…" She shook her head softly. "But she knew she had to. She had to go to save Naruto's life."

Sasuke knew she was right. There was no denying that. He remembered how, even before Ramada, when Itachi was in the hospital, Kirei had taken him to the hospital even though he didn't want to go. She tried to teach him what came naturally to her.

The Haruno could see that this wasn't easy for him to think about, but it was getting through to him. Maybe, just maybe, he'd agree to therapy. "I don't know how hard therapy can be, Sasuke. I've never been in therapy. But I know for a fact that it can help people, and that's all we want to do Sasuke. We just want to know that we can help someone we care about." She explained, voice full of emotion, hoping he'd understand.

He sighed softly and closed his eyes to calm himself. He knew better than anyone that Sakura was good at convincing people to do things – just like Hinata – by riling them up. It made minds and thoughts foggy, and with him, made him annoyed enough to just agree with it to get them out of his hair.

But he wasn't going to just agree to therapy. Not with Yamato, at least. "I know that you guys just want to help," He nodded to his friend, looking at her with a blank face yet again. "but I don't want any help. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with it on my own."

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it, Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, her emotions starting to take over her. "You didn't even realize you had attacked Naruto until he punched you in the face! You've got problems, Sasuke! But instead of dealing with them, you're avoiding them like a coward!"

"I am not a coward!" The Uchiha blasted back, his voice substantially louder than hers. "I don't want everyone to know that I'm going to therapy because I've got problems!" He admitted, realizing now that she was getting the better of him. "I hate that you guys are always worried about me when something goes wrong with Kirei, like it's the end of the world for me and that I'll go suicidal and kill myself! But I'd never think of doing something like that, so thanks, but no thanks, Sakura." He pointed to the door. "Please, get out."

Sakura stood across from him, eyes closed as if she were about to cry. His words had hit her very hard and in the one place it counted most; her heart. She rolled her lips before speaking. "You know I still love you, right?"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat in shock, eyes widening and mouth opening slightly as he stared at Sakura.

At his silence, she continued. "Despite what we went through, the good times and the bad, you're still my best friend and I still love you." With a soft sob, tears slowly rolled from her eyes to her cheeks. "I know that Kirei loves you so much and I'd never jeopardize that, but if you hate it so much that we care, I'm sorry, okay?!" She cried, eyes still closed. "I'm sorry for ever caring about you and trying to make sure you're okay!" She heaved heavy sobs, knees feeling as if they'd give out any second.

Sasuke let out a slow breath, his anger leaving him instantly. He'd never realized that Sakura still cared for him and never thought that maybe that was why she was trying to help him so much. Guilt slowly began to seep into his heart even though he knew he hated therapy.

Walking over to her, he pulled his best friend into a hug, trying to calm her down. "I'm sorry, Sakura." He whispered, rubbing her back as she cried against him. "I didn't realize what not dealing with my problems was doing to you guys, especially you."

She was thankful to be in a hug, the pressure from her knees lifting as she sniffled. "We're not asking you to go all the time…" She mumbled against his chest. "Just once in a while…"

He continued to rub her back, mulling it over in his mind. So maybe he overreacted to this therapy thing. He never decided to listen to them and basically told them to screw off.

He realized that it was the exact same he'd done with Kirei a couple months ago. He'd never _**listened**_ to her. He'd only told her what to do.

With a sigh, Sasuke agreed to do the one thing he hated, a feeling in his gut telling him it wasn't going to go well. But he couldn't let his friends become this way, especially when all they were doing was trying to help. "Alright, Sakura," He said, still rubbing her back. "I'll go to Yamato every once in a while."

She swallowed thickly, raising a hand to her face to dry her eyes. "Thank you, Sasuke." She said, voice not as strong as usual. "It means a lot."

As she began to pull away from him, he let her go, making sure she was alright first. "I know." He nodded to her as she finally opened watery green eyes. "I'm going to be heading over to the Manor after this is over…Do you want to stay and watch it?" He asked, knowing that it might help her calm down before she had to rush home.

She smiled at him, shaking her head. "I can't. I've got a few things to do at home before going to the Manor. But thanks, Sasuke." Her eyes gave a very thankful stare, smile giving the same thankfulness. "I'll call Yamato sometime tomorrow and you can talk with him." Seeing that he wasn't disgusted, she vanished in smoke, relieved to the greatest extent.

Sasuke waiting until all the smoke had disappeared before letting his head drop to the back of the couch and letting out a groan.

Therapy with Yamato.

Again.

He really did have horrible luck, didn't he?

* * *

Quite a few days later, Sasuke upheld his agreement with Sakura to visit Yamato for an hour long session. They had agreed that Sasuke would see Yamato once a week, for at least an hour, at most 3 hours, depending on what they had to talk about. They hadn't decided on a certain day, favoring for whenever Sasuke wanted to come in, so that he didn't feel as forced to go.

Upon hearing that his old patient would be back, Yamato was happy to pay for the sessions.

He didn't want to, but because he had nothing better to do – and was getting asked if he'd gone yet by everyone – Sasuke now stood in the waiting room of Yamato's office, dreading the moment when he was called in.

He barely remembered the man from his younger days, knowing that he had brown hair, black eyes like his own and a very scary – and sometimes intimidating – face when he wanted to. If he remembered right, Yamato was only 16 at the time, but he was a damn good therapist.

He also remembered why Itachi had sent him to Yamato in the first place; He was the best at what he did.

"Sasuke?" Yamato's voice came over the speaker that was placed on the tall bookcase. "You can come in now."

Before moving a muscle, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for one hell of an hour. With the thoughts of his worried friends on his mind, he began to walk toward the door, opening it as quietly as he could.

Upon seeing the room, one thought had crossed Sasuke's mind: It hadn't changed at all. There was a large wooden desk – where Yamato himself was seated – in the near center of the room, a couch opposite of the desk. Behind the desk was a large bookcase, accompanied by two doors on either side. There were quite a few plants littered through the room, all flourishing because of the large glass windows that provided sunlight.

A smile crossed Yamato's lips when he saw the raven, not believing how much Sasuke had changed. How much he'd grown from the small 10 year old he'd seen 10 years ago. "Hello, Sasuke." He said, motioning for the Uchiha to have a seat.

He nodded as his hello, stomach in knots because of his nervousness. He took the seat, sitting almost opposite of his new therapist.

The smile remained on the brunette's face. "It's good to see you again after all these years."

Sasuke nodded once more, eyes darting to the desk. He didn't want to say it, but he did. "Same to you."

"How's the family?"


	11. Key

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _Sigh....I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately. I've recently gotten a job and been working a lot after school and on weekends. My writing time has surely limited, but I am not, in any way, letting it stop me. This story WILL be finished, even if it takes a while (Which it shouldn't, I hope). I have up to chapter 18 written, so expect another update sometime later this week. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 11 – Key_

* * *

Orochimaru slammed his fist upon the solid armrest of his chair, the sound echoing throughout the stone corridor. "Damn that girl!" He snarled, voice also echoing.

Standing in front of him, Kabuto remained emotionless. "Shall I – "

"No." The snake snapped, cutting him off. "We've beaten her for the past two weeks and she hasn't broken. If we continue to do so, she still will not break." He knew this fact, eyes narrowing at Kabuto, knowing he knew it as well.

There was always a pattern that existed with the prisoners. The weak ones succumbed to the Snake's will within two weeks of being beaten, allowing Kabuto to have their way with them, so long as they were promised a release that never happened. The strong ones, the ones who never succumbed were usually left for dead by the two, knowing they'd never get their way.

"You could just kill her off." Kabuto suggested as he pushed his glasses up, hoping with all his heart that he'd be the one to do it. He hated those deep blue eyes that stared at him with nothingness every time he ventured near her.

Sneering, Orochimaru looked away from his subordinate, leaning forward in his chair, thinking about what to do.

He could kill the Namikaze…she proved that she wasn't going to be easy to deal with and he already hated her. Plus, how was Konoha to know she wasn't dead? He could just have someone transform into her whenever needed.

But yet, this was _**Konoha**_ he was dealing with. It wasn't just a rinky-dink town that he – let alone anyone – could overpower easily. The people, especially the bratty Ninja that were friends with the mouse would eventually come back to kill him.

"No, I don't think that wise." He answered, shaking his head slightly. "This mouse is not like our other captives and yet she is." He fell back to silence, thinking.

She was like the other captives he had locked away because of the fact that she was here. That she was in his grip – and even if she fought against him – he could do anything he wanted to her. He could beat her, cut her, drug her or even experiment with her. So long as she remained alive.

But why did she need to stay alive? That's where she wasn't like the other captives came in. She wasn't just some orphan off the street. She was part of the Namikaze's – one of the most recognized names in the world. If something happened to her, Konoha and its many allies would wage a war Orochimaru couldn't afford to fight.

Relaxing in his seat, a sudden thought popped into the Snake Sannin's mind, making his trademark sly smile take his lips.

The mouse was the key to all of this. She wasn't a hostage, she was a gift. It was pure chance that she happened upon the attack that day and it was pure luck Orochimaru took her. Since she was already close to the Hokage position, she would become the key to the locked door of Hokageship.

Kabuto ruffled his eyebrows slightly, knowing the smirk on his master's face. "What is it, sir?" He asked, knowing well that he had an idea.

Yellow eyes looked to his servant. "Give her a room. I don't care which." He said, waving his hand as he stood, turning to his right and walking the length of the room and continuing through the corridor.

Kabuto's footsteps echoed as he followed at the fast pace. He remained silent, wondering where they were going, but knowing all would become clear soon enough.

"You may continue to beat her, but don't be too harsh with her. I have a plan for her." The snake continued, smiling when he found the room he was looking for.

The experiment room.

Kabuto continued to follow, his silence telling his master that he understood.

Orochimaru kept his fast pace as he walked through the room, looking up and down the shelves as if he were searching for something. "Kabuto," He began, still looking at the shelves. "Do you remember a project we started for our dear friend Karin?"

Nearly black eyes looked to the ceiling in thought. There were many projects they used on Karin when they'd kidnapped her. But this one, as he said, they'd just started. "Do you mean the Rebirth project?"

"Yes." He answered, smile wide on his face.

Kabuto remembered the project vividly, as if he'd started it only yesterday. They hadn't had enough time to test the project on her, but they'd gotten further in experimenting with it. It was a relatively genius project that allowed Orochimaru to be reborn from someone else if he had somehow happened to die.

It was quite an easy concept to understand, he thought. All they had to do was modify a sample of Orochimaru's DNA and inject it within a subject. It would lie dormant within the subject until it received a signal.

The signal would be the death of Orochimaru. When the signal was received, the dormant DNA would active and copy itself until it consumed the subject's DNA.

To simplify it; The subject would become Orochimaru, who would gain control of the body, have his memories, chakra, jutsu's and skills. He would be reborn.

"I have come to realize that having the mouse here is more of a blessing than a curse, Kabuto." He informed, looking over to his subordinate. "Is the project ready for a subject?"

Realizing his intent – that he'd use the Namikaze as his subject – the Medic Nin nodded as Orochimaru pulled a folder out from the shelves. "Yes, for the most part. I have small adjustments to make to the injection process, but it is ready."

Yellow eyes scanned the file. "Good." He went around his assistant and began to walk back out of the room. "Make sure the mouse does not realize our intentions."

He nodded again. "Of course."

* * *

Kirei's deep blue eyes stared at the back of Kabuto's head, body rigid and alert as he pulled her along. Only moments before had he come down to her prison and removed her from the wall, but did not remove the chains at her hands.

He did not say a word to her, but simply took the ends of the chains in hand and pulled her from the room.

After the initial pain of the bright light, the blonde took a deep breath, thankful to be out of the cold and damp dungeon.

"You're getting a room." He informed flatly, one hand holding her chains, letting the metal rest upon his shoulder. "You're shackles won't be removed until we can confirm that you won't run away." He continued.

Listening, her eyes darted everywhere, examining the stone walls and corridors. It didn't seem like they were underground, but until she saw a window, she wasn't counting it out.

"The room has only a bed and pillow in it." He added, trying to remember if there was a window, too. He turned left, pulling the chains as he did so.

Stumbling slightly, Kirei sighed in relief. A bed. A pillow. Something to sleep on. She didn't know how long she'd been in the dungeon – even though it felt like forever – but she hadn't gotten much sleep, always keeping awake for when one of her two captors came down the stairs.

"Maybe if you're good," He turned his head, one eye able to see the blonde. "We'll let you walk around here, without these chains." He pulled them again, smirking when she stumbled.

She remained silent, letting her blue eyes bore into his, making his smirk vanish and his eyes dart away. She expected a slap, because every time before he'd slap her for that look, but when it did not come, she smiled. At least now she had something to drive him away.

Coming upon another corridor, this one lined with lighter rocks, Kabuto stopped at the first door on his right, unlocking the several heavy duty locks with his free hand. "Here." He stated bluntly, opening the door.

Blue eyes peered into the room, finding that it was duller than the room she had at Akatsuki. But it was better than a dungeon. Much better than a dungeon.

"Oh look," Kabuto began, voice still flat as ever as he leaned against the door. "you even have a window."

Before she looked to the window, she glanced to him, making sure this was real. He was really giving her a room. This wasn't some trick he was going to use to get her into the room and beat her or even rape her.

He saw this. "Don't you want it? It's a onetime offer, girl. Take it or leave it." Smirking, he yanked her chains, pulling her closer to him than he cared to be. "We'll remove these for now, because you've been good."

The heavy shackles fell to the ground with a large thunk, making Kirei realize just how light her hands actually were, fingers immediately going to her wrists to massage them. She'd probably have bruises for a while. "I will take the room." Letting her eyes annoy him further, she stepped into the room backwards.

He snarled his lip at her glare before slamming the door shut in her face and locking it up. "Enjoy your sanity while it lasts." He mumbled before stalking off, angered at how those blue eyes stared at him – how they mocked him!

Kirei didn't understand his statement, nor did she care. All she wanted to do was to look outside and then sleep. Sleep off all the stress and pain her body was riddled with.

Her fingers still massaged her sore wrists as a breeze blew into the small room, bringing her to move slowly to the window.

It wasn't a huge window, maybe a foot and a half on each side, bars set at every 2 inches, most likely. But it was a window. A doorway to another world that was far from the place she was at now.

"Shit." A frown formed on the blonde's lips as her eyes peered out into darkness, meaning that it was night. There was no way she'd be able to see the landscape in this darkness. She sighed in disappointment. "Oh well."

Turning away from it, she let her heavy eyelids close as she walked towards the bed. She didn't bother sitting down, instead falling on the mattress and lying there. It wasn't soft. It smelt like crap and had no sheets. The pillow, as she reached for it and set it under her head, was flat as a piece of paper. It also smelt.

But it was something. It was something that seemed vaguely familiar, and as the blonde let her eyes slip shut, she fell off into a deep sleep that she hadn't had in weeks.

* * *

"Why are we here so early?" Shikamaru complained, rubbing his eyes of sleep as he let out a cloud of smoke from the cigarette in his hand.

Standing beside him, Ino tapped her teammate and friend on the shoulder. "Stop complaining, Shikamaru! It's already noon, so be thankful that we didn't wake you up earlier." She pointed out.

Taking a drag on his cigarette, the brunette's eyes remained closed. She did have a point. "Okay, okay. Then why are we here?" He asked the question everyone was wondering.

Currently, Shikamaru stood near the side of the large crowd of cast and crew for the Tv Show, Naruto at the film grounds. It was Saturday, a day that they usually had off for missions and for a break, but everyone had been called in for an unknown reason.

"Good question." The director answered as he walked to the front of the group, having just arrived. "I have an important announcement for all of you." He continued when he stood at the front, pulling a piece of paper from his back pocket and showing it to the crowd. "Can someone tell me what this is?"

"A piece of paper!" Kiba shouted, making quite a few laughs and chuckles appear in the crowd.

The director casted him an annoyed glance. "Well, duh. Thanks, Mr. Obvious."

Kiba smiled. "You're welcome!"

"Okay then, now that we've got that sorted out…" He continued, annoyance plain in his voice. "Can someone tell me what's on this piece of paper?"

Shikamaru couldn't resist, blowing the smoke out of his mouth. "Yes, I'll just activate my godlike powers and read your mind for the answer." He received more laughs than Kiba. "Just tell us why we're here so we can go back to sleep."

The annoyed glance turned into a glare, his eyes shifting from Kiba to Shikamaru, who wore a ghost of a smile. "Fine then." He answered. "This piece of paper states that we have permission from the Station to begin work on the new movie!" He stated happily.

The crowd fell to silence, eyebrows ruffling and confusion setting in.

"What new movie?" Sakura finally asked from the silence.

He smiled. "The one we're learning about today!" He answered happily, hearing groans from the crowd.

It's not that they didn't like filming, or making a new movie. They loved to appease their audience with new things. It was the time and effort consumed that they hated. The first movie had taken forever to film, being that everyone had missions to complete and jobs to do. They couldn't be there all the time – and unlike the show – they weren't allowed to fill the jobs of others. Naruto couldn't create clones for other members. They had to have everyone there.

And when they did have everyone there – which was rare in the first place – they had to be perfect in an actor's sense. They had to get everything right on the first few takes or else they'd be at the film grounds much longer than they wanted to be. But that took a lot of skill and effort, which tired them out immensely.

"Come on guys," Naruto began, trying to cheer up his friends from the near middle of the crowd. "It won't be so bad. If we focus a lot while we're here, it'll help get rid of a lot of stress."

"Coming from the blonde who can't focus for his life." Sasuke mumbled with a small smile, earning quite a few chuckles.

He also earned a whap to the back of the head. "Shut up, teme."

Rubbing the back of his head, the raven pointed near one of the many trees. "Look." He said flatly. "Ramen."

Naruto knew it was a trick. He knew very well there was no ramen where Sasuke was pointing. But he had to look! He had to look. So he did.

For it, he earned a whap on the side of the head. "See. I told you. No focus effort." He said, not seeing the rosette who was walking up to the two.

She stood between the two, yet a few steps back, taking advantage of the situation and whapping both blonde and raven.

"Ow!!" The interim Hokage cried, holding his head. "What was that for?" He looked to his teammate, black eyes also looking to her.

"The sooner we get done here, the sooner we go home." She answered, cracking her knuckles. "So both of you focus!" She couldn't help but smile, feeling as if everything was right – even though it wasn't.

Kirei wasn't here, but as of the moment, it seemed as if she was here, maybe at the loft or sitting next to Sasuke quietly. Naruto was Naruto, there was no mistaking him, although he had an air of stress about him and Sasuke was – not completely Sasuke – but he was who he'd always been.

The instigator of Naruto, who picked on and teased him mercilessly. The quiet soul who didn't show his power or anger unless he had to. The sensible one who was somehow able to "control" Naruto, to make him pay attention or to help him.

Even though, he had something missing. It wasn't something that was easily seen, but knowing him so well, Sakura could see it in his eyes. He was missing a part of him that only Kirei could give back to him.

Sighing softly, Sakura watched her teammates argue once more, smiling as she let it go. She knew that they were only playing, like brothers did.

"Sakura," Ino started as she walked up to the rosette, taking a quick glance to Naruto before returning her blue eyes. "Can I have a word?" She asked, motioning away from the group.

"I'll memorize the script faster than you, teme!"

Laughing first, the Medic nodded. "Sure." She let her friends go, following the Yamanaka until they were outside the group by a few feet. "What's up?" She smiled.

"Nothing, really." The platinum blonde answered. "But it seems to me that Yamato is really helping." Her voice was low, almost at a whisper.

Green eyes looked away, finding the raven who now was in a headlock. He looked as if he was going to kill Naruto, making her smile. "Yeah," She nodded. "It seems like everything's normal again."

Ino had followed her sight and chuckled, shaking her head at her overzealous blonde friend. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay, too."

Sakura brought her eyes back to the Yamanaka, eyebrows furrowing. "Me? Why would I be…" The look in blue eyes made her understand.

Ino somehow knew that Sakura still loved Sasuke and that if he was troubled in any way, she would make herself sick with worry and try her best to help.

"How'd you know?" She asked, smile falling from her face, eyes darting away. "I tried so hard not to make it obvious."

The Yamanaka's smile remained as she leaned, trying to catch emerald eyes. "I'm your best friend, sweetie. I'm going to notice everything." She answered softly. "I'm glad that Yamato's helping Sasuke and that it seems to be working. But I wanted to make sure that you're okay with everything. This isn't easy on anyone."

The rosette nodded, rolling her lips. "Yeah," She answered, eyes returning to her teammates again. "I'm okay." She said firmly after a few minutes. "Someone on my team's got to be the strong one." She smiled to her best friend.

The smile on her face and the look in her eyes convinced Ino that everything was okay with Sakura. She knew the rosette well enough to realize she still loved Sasuke, but also that she'd never try to hurt him. In this, though, it was often that she herself ended up sick or hurt, which made Ino worry.

But it seemed that now, billboard-brow was finally starting to let go of her teammate. She was finally starting to live her own life.

* * *

"Hey, dad." A somber, yet calm voice spoke, the sound barely above the steady beeping of the heart monitor and pulsing of the respirator.

Sitting in the chair beside the bed of the comatose Yondaime, Naruto watched his father with saddened blue eyes, hoping to find some sort of change. Change meant that he'd moved, that he'd woken up, that he was okay.

But alas, everything was the same. The bandages around his arms, the gown that he wore, the monitors and even his hair and the wrinkles on the bed hadn't changed. Nothing had changed.

"We just started a new movie today." He continued, voice level with the beeping. He didn't even know if his father could hear him, but somehow, it helped ease the pain. "I think you'd like it." He attempted a smile, but it soon fell.

For what seemed like hours, Naruto sat, staring at his father, all other sounds drowned out.

"I don't know how you did it, dad." He gulped and sighed softly. "I don't know how in the world you ran this city so well and kept everything so quick. I'm trying my best to keep up," His eyes fell to the floor. "even with the leeway everyone's giving us…but I just can't." Again, a heavy sigh went through him, eyes starting to water up slightly.

He already knew that he wouldn't be as good as his dad starting off, but he wasn't _**remotely**_ as good as his dad. He wasn't able to do everything the Yondaime could have done in a day. It took him so much longer.

"I'm not you, dad." Blue eyes finally closed, his head coming to rest upon the bed where his father laid. "We can't exist without you." He spoke into the sheets, hands gripping the white material. "We need you back."

Closing his eyes even tighter, Naruto did his best to fight back his tears.

"I need you back, dad."

* * *

Knocking on the door of the Yondaime's private hospital room, Hinata opened it softly, poking her head inside. "Naruto?" She called, voice soft.

She knew the blonde was here, seeing as how every night, Naruto was here. After filming, he'd come to see his dad, spending hours just sitting there in the chair and talking or watching him. When those hours passed, he drove himself to come to the Manor, where everyone was, waiting for him to try to cheer him up.

But today was different. Naruto hadn't come home.

"Hon?" She called out once more, slipping into the room and letting the door shut quietly.

It was shortly after midnight and since the blonde never went anywhere other than the hospital, the Hyuuga knew exactly where to go to find her love.

She kept her steps silent, figuring that her beloved blonde was asleep in the chair, like he had been those few times she'd come to see him. But when she finally did see him, she stopped, heart falling slightly as her face saddened. "Naru…" She mumbled sadly, walking closer to him.

Unlike all the other times she'd found him asleep – where he was leaned back in the chair – he was hunched forward, arms propped up on the bed as he slept beside his father.

She continued walking until she reached him, kneeling to the floor before setting a hand on his shoulder and gently rubbing it to wake him. "Naruto…" She whispered, watching her blonde with soft eyes. "Honey, wake up."

Taking a deep breath, the Uzumaki slowly awoke, pulling away from the bed and leaning back in the chair. He rubbed his eyes before opening them, trying to get rid of the tear marks on his face. "Hina?" He asked, recognizing the voice and the way she rubbed his back.

"I'm right here." She whispered, allowing blinking blue eyes to see her beside him. "I came to bring you home, dear."

He rubbed his face, hoping she wasn't able to see the tear marks. "What time is it?" He asked groggily.

She could obviously see he'd been crying, but didn't pry. She knew better than to ask when he'd just woken up. "It's after midnight." She answered.

He looked over to her, slightly alarmed. "Midnight?" He questioned, voice slightly raised as he brought his face to his hands. "I didn't mean to be gone that long," He mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "I just…I just wanted to tell him…"

Hinata could tell instantly that he was already upset, leaning forward to try to catch his sight. "It's okay, hon…" She tried to soothe him, still rubbing his shoulder. "It's okay."

It was silent for a few minutes.

"I need him, Hina." He finally mumbled, voice starting to crack. "I can't…I need my dad."

Hinata rolled her lips, standing up as she pulled him up from his seat and then into a hug. "I know, sweetie…" She tried to soothe him again, one hand rubbing his shoulder, the other in his hair. "We all need him back."

Naruto wrapped his arms around his love, burrowing his face into her shoulder. "I need him more!" He cried. "I need my dad back! I can't do this without him!"

The Hyuuga did her very best to hold back her own tears, not knowing how to console him. She'd never been in the situation Naruto was in; where you could possibly loose the person who'd been with you all your life.

Full knowing she shouldn't make a promise she couldn't keep, Hinata spoke softly, but firmly. "He'll come back, Naruto. I promise he'll come back to you."

Squeezing her waist gently, the blonde burrowed his face deeper into her shoulder, finally letting out what he'd bottled up for the past few weeks. He'd bottled it up only because he wanted to appear strong.

He wanted to be the one people cried on. He wanted to be the one who had control of his emotions, who seemed strong even in dire times like these. The one who put up the front and appear like everything was going to be okay. That he knew everything was going to be okay in the end.

He wanted to be like how his father was during these times.

But Naruto wasn't his father.

* * *

"You go ahead in, Hina…" The blonde began as they landed on the doorsteps of the Hokage Manor, nearly 15 minutes after his breakdown. "I just want to make a call and I'll be in."

She cast him a worried glance, but trusted him enough to know he wouldn't have another breakdown so soon. She had known for a short time that her beloved blonde was bottling up his feelings, only because he never talked about his father anymore. It was always filming or something about Sasuke or even wondering about Kirei. She didn't know if maybe he was trying to deny that his father was in a coma, but she knew, sooner or later, all those feelings would come out.

Nodding, she stepped closer to him and took his collar into her hands, pulling him down into a kiss. "Alright. I'll be in bed."

He kissed back happily, allowing his arms to wrap around her waist before he had to let her go. "Thanks."

Reaching her hand up, Hinata ruffled her blonde's hair, smiling tiredly. "You're welcome." Still smiling, she entered her love's house, taking a small peak outside the window just to be sure. She could trust her blonde, but she was allowed to be curious, wasn't she?

Blue eyes looked up first, watching the dark night sky before turning to the ground below him, his hand reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He flipped it open and scrolled through his contacts, looking for a certain number.

When he found it, he hit the send button and put the small device to his ear, hoping that he'd get the voicemail. He couldn't talk to his Grandfather right now, at least, not in person.

Just like he'd hoped, the call went to voicemail. "You have reached," A recorded woman's voice spoke. "The _**Pervy**_ Sage!" Jiraiya's voice called out, making Naruto shake his head. "I'm probably out looking at wome – I mean, _**researching**_ for my next book, leave a message!"

When the beep came, Naruto sighed softly, preparing himself to say exactly what he wanted to say without alerting the older man right away. "Hey, Grandpa. It's me." Well that plan was shot. He already sounded upset. "I know you're up at Myobokuzan working on your next book and you didn't want to be bothered…but some things have happened down here."

Shifting uncomfortably, Naruto moved back a few steps, choosing to lean against the wall of his home, gulping before continuing.

"To make it short…Dad's hurt. He was attacked a few weeks ago…by Orochimaru. Granny's treating him…but we don't know when he'll wake up. No worries about Hokage, though. I'm Interim Hokage until Dad gets back." He tried to sound a little happier, at least until he realized something. "I never thought that when I'd get to be Hokage, it'd be when everything's screwed up."

He was silent for a few moments, thinking about his last statement. He had always imagined his father passing Hokage down to him, the people all there, cheering him as he took the position, his friends spreading congrats. But it wasn't like his dream.

This was reality.

"That's about half of what's happened." He continued, realizing that he might be cut off soon. "Um…Kirei's been…" The blonde wasn't sure how his Grandfather would take his former teammate taking his only granddaughter. "kidnapped again. Orochimaru took her when he attacked Dad. "

He ran his free hand through his hair, sighing once more before sliding down the wall to sit on the ground.

"If you could just call me when you get this, that'd be awesome. We really need all the help we can get…it's not as easy being Hokage as you think. Dad made it seem so easy…but I've got to try to get some sleep. Goodnight, Grandpa. I'll have my phone with me at all times. Bye." It seemed so strange to Naruto, hearing how flat and unemotional his voice was as he closed the phone.

But who could blame him?

He'd been through so much in the past few weeks that he was sure, if he didn't have his friends with him, helping him through everything, he surely would've broken down much sooner and much worse.

Standing up, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed inside the Manor where everyone was sleeping, or at least, pretending to be asleep to see if he'd come back.

He took off the white cloak of his father's, setting it on the coat rack as he slipped off his shoes, walking into the living room quietly soon after.

Despite all the horrible things that had happened and the crappy way he felt, there was some small feeling that brought just a bit of peace into his being.

A smile came onto the blonde's face as he saw the living room, all of his friends scattered in it, sleeping in the same spots since the day everything hit the fan.

No matter what would happen to Konoha, Kirei or his father, Naruto knew that his friends would be there for him, just like they were now.


	12. Hokage

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _It's been a while, hasn't it? It certainlly feels like it has, considering my days are filled with work and school. Don't worry, I always have time to write (I make it), and am actually close to finishing! About 6 chapters away (I'm on chapter 19) so once I can get time, I'll upload more chapters and you guys can finally understand a lot of things! I still have yet to plan the major details of the ending, but I will confirm it here that this is the last of "The Actors" series. A trilogy would be nice, but I don't have any ideas as to what the third would be about, nor do I want to sully the series. I like how it's turning out and I hope to keep it that way. Speaking of which, my next story will be a Pokemon fanfic, but a warning to the wise: this will not be the 10 year old fluff from the show. True to my writing style, it will be a little more...The Actors-ish, if that makes sense. I have a lot planned, but not everything...yet. :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 12 – Hokage_

* * *

Sighing heavily, Naruto stared at his father's desk in disbelief and fatigue.

Or rather, the large stack of papers that covered the desk.

He had done his best to avoid the overwhelming stack of mission reports and missions themselves during the week, trying to work on something else, but unfortunately for him, the only thing left to do were the missions.

Lying back in the comfy chair, the Interim Hokage laced his fingers together and set them in his lap, letting his head fall back over the chair and his mind wonder off so he didn't have to do missions.

He didn't want to avoid them – knowing they had to get done at some point – but he did, nevertheless. He didn't want someone to be killed because he'd assigned the wrong team to a mission or have a team bored because the mission was too easy for them. It's not that he didn't want to be at fault, no, he didn't want to have the guilt on his heart if someone did die. He didn't want to play God.

Closing his eyes, he let out another sigh, this time through his nose. He remembered how the other Kage's and countries helped out when they learned of the Yondaime's injuries. They'd given him so much time and leeway to allow him to adjust to the fast paces – especially the Kazekage – but it wasn't enough time. He still was slow at things, he still didn't know everything that had to be done, unlike his father. He knew for a fact that usually, his father set the pace for the other Kage's, but always granted them extra time if they needed it.

Which is probably why they'd never gotten angry when he was late to a meeting or late with deals, missions or laws. But he still wished he was better at everything, especially these damn missions.

Opening his eyes, he pulled his head up, looking at the huge stacks of papers that sat on the desk, begging him to finish them.

"I hate you all…" He mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the papers that stared at him as he set his head on the edge of the desk.

Why couldn't he just bang his head off the desk a few times, get a headache and then go to bed? Ah yes, that sounded like a good plan. Bang his head a few times, get a killer headache and then slink off to his bedroom and allow his mind to rest, since everyone else was out for the day.

"Don't do that."

Jumping in his chair at the sudden voice, Naruto let out a small scream, his chair slipping out from underneath him and sending him to the floor, head missing the desk by nothing more than an inch. He looked up from his new seat to see Sasuke standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. "Don't scare me like that, teme!" He yelled as he stood, getting his seat back and sitting in it. "And why shouldn't I?"

Arms still crossed, the Uchiha let a smirk slip onto his face. "You wouldn't want to damage that little brain of yours." His arms dropped to his side as he walked inside, pulling up a chair beside the blonde.

Naruto couldn't hold back a smile – knowing it was Sasuke's own special way of caring – but tried to scowl as he set his head back on the desk. "Oh, thanks, teme."

The smirk remained on the raven's face, black eyes drifting to the papers on the desk. He could easily see that all of them were missions and reports and was about to ask what the problem was, but Naruto spoke first.

"How's it going with Yamato?" He asked softly, taking his head off the desk and sitting back into the chair. "You weren't gone for too long."

Sasuke's eyes slipped from the desk, traveling left to gaze at the floor. He didn't like talking about his visits – he detested it – but if it was Naruto asking, he could give something of an answer. "It's…going." He answered at first, unsure of what to say. "Sometimes I don't really care about the subject of our talks…but I have to say that it's helping."

The blonde knew he hated talking about Yamato and decided not to ask too many questions. "That's good." He nodded, blue eyes drifting to the papers that still stared back at him. "I'm glad he's helping."

The raven remained silent, also nodding. He didn't want someone to actually hear him agree to that statement. At his friend's movement, he brought his eyes back, also looking at the papers on the desk. "Aren't those missions?"

Naruto sighed, starting at them blankly. "Yeah."

Sasuke's eyebrows creased, head turning to look at the blonde. "Are you gonna fill them out? Or assign teams?"

Blue eyes remained on the papers. "Nope."

This time, Sasuke's confused look turned into a skeptical look. He thought that of anything a Hokage had to do, filling out reports and assigning teams would be the easiest to do. "You have to. It's your duty as Hokage." He reminded, watching the blonde sigh.

He let his eyes close, still leaning back in the chair. "I know…" He started, drawling out the statement. "It's just…I've been avoiding them for as long as possible because I don't know a lot of things."

Sasuke also sighed, able to see where this was going. "Like?" He asked, already thinking about his next statement.

His eyes remained closed. "Like…which team is good for which mission. I don't want to give a B-ranked mission to a team of Genin – like the one we had. Yet," He continued. "I don't want to give a Jounin a D-ranked mission. I don't know what the weaknesses and strengths of each team are."

"Then go through them, one at a time." Sasuke suggested, still watching his friend.

Naruto shook his head. "That takes way too long." He answered, sighing again and opening his eyes to look at the photos placed on the edges of the desk. "I'm just not what my dad was, Sasuke. I can't do this as well as he can."

Sasuke let out a small chuckle, punching the blonde in the arm to get his attention.

Like he knew it would, Naruto turned to his friend, anger on his face. "Don't laugh!" He yelled, anger growing when he saw the smile on Sasuke's face. "It's true! I'm not as great as my dad!"

His smile never wavered. "Of course not, Dobe. You're not him." He said clearly. "You can't expect to be as good as Minato when you've just started. He's been doing this a lot longer than you have. You're an idiot to think that you're going to be as good as him. You aren't him." He repeated, words harsh but true. "But that shouldn't matter. You're you. So you do things differently. So you're slower than him. Why should that matter, so long as the job gets done?"

Blue eyes blinked, staring at black, mouth open slightly, thinking about the question. Despite the harshness of his words, Sasuke had a valid point. No matter how much he wanted to be like his dad, he couldn't. He could only be himself.

He tore his eyes away, looking at the papers again. He couldn't expect himself to know everything that his dad did. He could only expect all of what he could do and for now, that would have to be enough.

Sasuke knew the blonde was thinking and knew that he was right, but decided that maybe a little more action was needed. "If you're having trouble with these missions, why don't we both look at them?" Without waiting for an answer, he took one of the papers from the desk, looking over the sheet.

His words brought the Uzumaki back to reality, looking over the raven as he examined the paper in disbelief. But in the few moments of silence, Naruto realized that Sasuke was serious. He was going to help him through all of these missions. "That would be awesome." He said, thankful that there would be someone else to check his decisions.

* * *

Just like Sasuke had suggested, the two went through each mission one at a time, first separating them into piles by rank. Then, going through each one, they double checked each other's decisions and made sure the team assigned was right for the job.

It had taken nearly three hours to do all the missions except the ANBU ranked missions. But there was something else on the cluttered desk that would set the two boys back even further, the paper hidden underneath the stacks and other pieces of paper.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked, reaching for said paper, not recognizing it as a mission report.

He quickly read over the document while Naruto stamped the last of the A-ranked missions and set it aside. "What's what?" He asked, furrowing his brows when he saw the unfamiliar piece of paper.

Reading through, Sasuke's confused face slowly turned into slight surprise, his black eyes looking up to blue eyes. "This is for the Chunin Exams. This is saying that you've agreed to hold the Chunin Exams within the next year."

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock, taking the paper from Sasuke's hands. He read over it, mouth dropping open, face paling and heart dropping. He was already having enough trouble dealing with just missions, let alone the Hokage business itself and now he had to deal with the Chunin Exams? "I can't do this anymore."

Before Sasuke could convince him otherwise, his attention was soon directed to the crack and poof of smoke that appeared beyond the desk.

"I didn't expect you back so soon, Sasuke." Neji said as he cleared the smoke away, sensing the presence of the Uchiha next to Naruto.

Sasuke nodded, eyes meeting the Hyuuga's. "I didn't like what we were talking about." He answered dryly, eyeing the pieces of paper in the brunette's hand.

Neji took that as a sign to drop the conversation, shifting his attention to the blonde instead, his eyebrows ruffling at the Interim Hokage. "Naruto?" He asked, walking over to try and get the blonde's attention. "I finished my mission report." He waved a hand in front of the Uzumaki's face.

Shaking his head at the sudden motion, Naruto blinked a few times to focus his sight, setting the Chunin paper aside. That could be dealt with later. "Sorry, Neji," He began, taking the paper from the Hyuuga. "I was spacing out."

He couldn't hold back a smile, nodding to his friend. "I assume that more than half the time." He answered, chuckling and taking a few steps back. "I'm going to head home for a few hours, take a shower, get out of this ANBU uniform and relax. But I'm coming back." He informed, looking back and forth between the two.

It's not that he hated the ANBU uniforms – no, they were very useful during combat and missions – but to walk around town or just be in the outfit was not something he was fond of.

Watching him depart, Naruto hadn't heard much of what he said, other than the sole word, "ANBU". "Wait, Neji." He began, an idea suddenly dawning on the blonde.

Halfway out the door, Neji stopped, turning to look at his Hokage and friend. "Sure." He walked back into the room, despite how much he wanted to get out of his uniform.

Sasuke watched, slightly confused as Naruto offered him a seat, grin on his face. What was he up to?

Setting his elbows on the edge of the desk, the Uzumaki leaned toward his friend, smiling. "You know everyone in the ANBU pretty well, right?"

"Yeah…" Neji answered, wondering where this was going. Of course he knew. "I'm ANBU Captain. I have to know everyone."

"Including their strengths and weaknesses?" Naruto asked, already knowing the answer.

He nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yes, including strengths and weaknesses. It's part of my job."

The blonde let out a sigh of relief, yet he didn't relax back into his chair, since only half the job was done. "I know this really isn't protocol or shouldn't be done at all, but could I ask a favor, a huge favor of you, Neji?" Blue eyes and a large grin looked to the Hyuuga hopefully.

A favor? That's what all this was about? "You know you can ask me anything, Naruto." He answered, quickly correcting himself. "As long as it's not spending the day together or anything."

Sasuke let out a small laugh, turning his head away from the glare soon to be on Neji's face and covered his laugh with a fake cough. He could've seen that one coming.

"No, it's nothing like that," The blonde shook his head. "It's much more serious."

At his words, the smile left the raven's face, his head turning to look at the blonde. He wasn't seriously going to…

"I'll make it quick and clear, Neji." Naruto began, noticing Sasuke's shocked face but letting it go. "I'm not any good at assigning missions. I've avoided them all week because I'm afraid I'm going to mess up. See this stack of papers?" He asked, pointing to the ANBU stack he'd yet to finish.

Neji nodded, now having some idea as to where this was going.

"These are the missions for ANBU and I have no freaking clue on who to assign to what mission." Naruto said frankly, running a hand through his hair. "I know this isn't proper of a Hokage, but I can't do this all on my own. Would it be too much to ask you, the ANBU Captain to take over assigning missions until my father returns?"

Neji blinked in shock. Naruto was really asking for help? The one who always said he'd do it himself? The one who always hated when people helped him was asking for help?

"I'm not asking you to assign all the missions, Neji." Naruto continued, trying to clear up some of the confusion that might have been received. "Sasuke and I can tackle all of the other ones from week to week. I'm just asking if you'd take over the ANBU ones so I don't rip my hair out over who should do what." He explained, watching the Hyuuga's face.

Slowly, the shock faded away and was replaced with a small smile and calm eyes. "You already told us that you'd need help doing this and we all agreed to help you out whenever we could, Naruto." He answered, still smiling. "Of course, I'll do them. Just let me – "

Finally feeling relaxed, the Interim Hokage let out a larger sigh, falling back into his chair and letting his eyes slip. "You take as long as you want, Neji. So long as they get done and I still have a full head of gorgeous blonde hair."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at his friend. "Whoever said that you have gorgeous blonde hair?"

Naruto was quick to answer. "Hinata." He said with a smug smile. "And don't deny it's gorgeous because Kirei has almost the exact same hair color and you love her." Opening his eye a sliver, he looked to the raven only to find a hand in the way.

The raven was scowling, his hand whacking the blonde upside the head. "Her hair color is a million times better."

Neji saw this a perfect moment to slip out of the room unnoticed.

"Owwww!" Naruto first yelled, holding his head before he retorted. "Her hair's a few shades darker than mine! It's barely any different!"

The scowl remained, although it wasn't a true scowl. Sasuke was only playing to get the blonde's mind off of his work. "I can still tell." He replied calmly. "And it's much better."

Rubbing his head with one hand, Naruto narrowed his eyes and smiled, knowing the Uchiha's intent. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you can Almighty." His other hand was reaching for the only other loose piece of paper on the desk. The Chunin Exam paper.

Silence took the room once more, black eyes seeing what Naruto was going for. "What are you going to do about that?" He asked, already knowing the blonde was in over his head in all of this Hokage business. He didn't need another stressful thing like the Chunin Exams to worry about.

Blue eyes scanned the paper, but weren't actually reading it. "Well, if I can get Neji to take over ANBU missions, why can't I get someone to assume control of the Chunin exams?" He asked, looking over to the raven.

Sasuke had to admit, it was a good idea. If Naruto couldn't do everything – which he really couldn't – why _**couldn't**_ he split up the jobs and have everyone report back to him? It was like taking the Yondaime himself and splitting him up into 5 different people and telling them to each do one job.

But the question was, who would do it? Everyone they knew was capable of doing the job, but who would – willingly – take over the Chunin Exams? "I guess you could…but who would you get to – "

Sasuke's words slowed to a complete stop as both he and Naruto looked out into the hallway, hearing someone slowly walking down the halls.

Having had one of the best naps of his life, Shikamaru walked down the hallway, his eyes closed, hands in his pockets. His nap would have gone on even longer, maybe into the night if he hadn't been so hungry that his stomach had forced him awake.

Looking back at the paper and then to Shikamaru quickly, the large and trademark grin of Uzumaki Naruto appeared on his lips. "Just the person I wanted to see!" He yelled, sure to get the lazy-Nin's attention. "Shikamaru!!!"

Still very much asleep, Shikamaru stopped, arching both eyebrows when someone called his name. Slowly, he turned his head toward the Office, knowing Naruto was the one who called his name. "Yeah?" He answered, figuring this would be where his stomach would stab him for taking a detour.

"Would you come in here for a few minutes?" Naruto asked, his voice kind and sweet, which just meant that he was probably going to sucker Shikamaru into something.

Against his better judgment, Shikamaru obliged, turning and walking into the office. He didn't even bother stopping and waiting for Naruto to motion for him to take a seat, plopping down in one of the rather comfy chairs, eyes still closed. "I'm here."

Even though he didn't really know Shikamaru or cared for the guy, Sasuke had to admit to one thing about him; he never changed. He was still the lazy, smart bastard from back in their Genin days.

Just like with Neji, Naruto leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on the edge of the less cluttered desk. "How've you been, Shika?" The Interim Hokage asked, grin on his face.

The dark brunette let his head fall over the back of the chair, eyes remaining shut. "Don't even try buttering me up." He stated flatly. "Just ask me what you want so I can get something to eat and go back to sleep."

Blue eyes stared at him for a minute in disbelief. Just like Shikamaru, at least. "I have a favor to ask." He said, voice no longer sweet, no longer trying to sucker him into something. It was normal, like he wanted to truly ask instead of dupe.

A small smile appeared on the lazy-Nin's face, already knowing his answer, no matter what the question was. Of course he'd help Naruto. "Sure."

The blonde let out a soft sigh, eyes drifting to the piece of paper still on his desk. "I don't want everyone to know, but I'm really having a lot of trouble trying to keep up with everything right now." He knew he could tell Shikamaru without the latter blabbing his mouth to everyone. "I've already asked Neji to take over something small, but I need someone to take over something else for me."

"So you don't tear out your – " Shikamaru tried to remember the correct words. ""gorgeous" blonde hair?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he picked up his head and looked to the blonde.

Naruto laughed, closing his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, for the most part." The grin on his face slowly began to disappear. "You liked the Chunin Exams, right?"

Shikamaru's eyes became half-lidded, staring at the blonde in disbelief before closing. "Oh yes…I loved those…" His voice was riddled with sarcasm. "Especially when you and Kankuro pushed me out of the balcony when I had to face Temari." He smiled when he recalled the event.

The Interim Hokage laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh yeah," He remembered. "We did do that. But if I remember right, someone was too lazy to walk down the stairs."

Sasuke watched them go back and forth, ghost of a smile on his face. He hadn't been there at the time of Shikamaru's match, but he had to admit, it definitely sounded like Shikamaru to not walk down the stairs and a lot like Naruto and Kankuro to push him out of the balcony.

Shikamaru's head fell back over the back of the couch. "Yeah, yeah." He said with a smile. "The favor's about the Chunin Exams right?" He asked, figuring they had something to do with it, or else Naruto wouldn't've brought them up.

His hand slipped away from his head, falling back to the desk, to the one paper he hadn't dealt with yet. "Yes," He nodded. "it is. See, I didn't realize that I had signed this little piece of paper that says that we're going to throw the Chunin Exams within the next year." He explained, sighing. "But I'm already in over my head with all of this."

The smile on Shikamaru's face turned soft as he picked up his head. "It's troublesome. Very troublesome." He said, hiding his smile as he stood, hands still in his pockets. "Just like you." He nodded to Naruto and took the steps to come to the desk. "But I'll take over for you." He snatched the paper from his friends' hands, shoving it into his pocket. He let out a heavy sigh – and smiled – as he walked out of the room, mumbling happily, "What a drag…"

Like with Neji, Naruto fell back into his chair, stress slowly leaving his mind. The chair leaned backward as he put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. Everything was done. For now, there was nothing more for him to do as Hokage, so maybe a night of movies and relaxation was in order. Yeah. That sounded really good right about now.

Just walking into the living room of the Manor after her shift, Sakura nodded to the Nara who walked down the stairs, smile on his face. "Hey, Shikamaru," She began as he passed her. "Is Naruto upstairs?"

He nodded, not bothering to turn around. "Yeah," He answered, heading into the kitchen. "he's with Sasuke."

The rosette smiled, letting the brunette head into the kitchen as she traveled up the steps. She was glad to hear Sasuke was there, too, seeing as how she wanted to ask him a few things, mainly about how everything was going with Yamato.

She knew that it wasn't easy talking to him, especially about some of the subjects Yamato used, but she was a little bit curious on how everything was going. She couldn't ask Yamato because of the Doctor-Patient Privilege, but she could at least try to ask Sasuke.

When she arrived at the top of the steps, in plain view of the office, she stopped, wanting to hear what her teammates and best friends were talking about. Plus, it looked like the raven she still worried about was having a pretty good time.

"You really pushed him off the balcony?" Sasuke asked in the silence, not really doubting it.

Without moving, Naruto smiled and laughed. "Yeah…I think we meant to pat him on the back…but he just fell out the balcony and onto the ground."

The Uchiha shook his head, small smile appearing on his face. "Why should I expect anything else?" He asked himself, putting his head in his hand.

Naruto laughed again. "You shouldn't! You can't expect anything from me!"

Sakura continued to watch, her green eyes going back and forth between the two. After a few minutes, she turned around and headed back downstairs.

She didn't need to ask Sasuke if he was okay, if he was doing any better with Yamato.

The smile on his face, the life in his black eyes and the laugh that she missed hearing made it all very clear to Sakura.

* * *

Letting out a cry of frustration, Kabuto slammed his fist on the metal table in front of him in anger. Feeling as if that wasn't enough, he threw away the syringe in his hand and shook the small metal containers on the table, glasses nearly falling off his face while strands of hair fell from his usually neat ponytail. "Damn it all!" He mumbled under a hushed voice, lowering his head and replacing his glasses on his face.

He had been working on the newest sample of Orochimaru's DNA for the Rebirth Project that they planned to use on the Namikaze girl, but for a week and a half there had been no progress!

After deciding that they'd go ahead with the project, Kabuto decided he'd check the remaining DNA in the file to make sure it would still activate and take over the host after death. It was a good thing he did, because there wasn't any DNA left to work with, which, primarily, set them back for weeks.

He'd already obtained new DNA and, even though he knew he'd get frustrated and angry, decided to start the project again, trying to retrace his steps from years ago.

But even with his notes from those years ago, it was not as easy as he thought it would be.

"Troubles?"

Grimacing, Kabuto glanced to his left, not really needing to see who it was, since the only other person allowed in the Lab was Orochimaru. "No," He answered, retying his hair into it's usually neatness. "Just a snag."

Leaning on the doorframe, the Snake slithered away from it, walking over to his assistant. "How long will this "snag"," He very much doubted that it was _**just**_ a snag. "take to fix?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

They both knew that with Konoha soon to be after them – along with the numerous allies Konoha had – they didn't have much time to spare.

The medic-nin did not want to say the truth, but he'd rather be beaten for the truth than to be killed for a lie. "A few weeks. Maybe a month." He glanced up to yellow eyes, making sure not to look directly into them.

There was no movement from Orochimaru. He simply stared at the samples on the metal table, thinking about what to do.

They were full aware that they would be killed by Konoha's hands. No doubt existed about that. But the true question was, when were they going to die? The city was probably in chaos without their beloved Yondaime, which provided them with a few months that had already passed.

By now, there was a new Hokage or someone to take control for the time being – if the Yondaime was alive – and they were slowly putting the village back together and formulating a plan to get that mouse back. Either way, that would take even more time, even another few months to get running. So they still had…at least until early next year.

From there, it was up to himself to keep them alive. They had a few extra bases that were still intact that they could run to if needed, which gave them as much time as they needed since no one knew where they were.

"I can allow that," He finally spoke after a few moments of silence. "so long as it does not take longer than that, Kabuto." For Orochimaru, his words were kind. But his voice and the manner in which these "kind" words were said told a different story.

Kabuto nodded, understanding the poison in the words. If he did not complete the Project within that month, all hope for the Sannin to gain power was gone. Which meant that Kabuto was as good as dead. "Yes, Orochimaru."

Despite having the Sannin watching him, the medic-nin went back to work, hoping that any extra time he spent resulted in less time lost.

The long haired raven did linger for a moment, making sure that Kabuto understood how important this project was. After that moment, he turned, heading back toward the door to check upon that little aggravating mouse of theirs until something stopped him.

Hanging from the rock wall by chains was one of Kabuto's work lights – currently turned off since he was nowhere near this area – with a small green snake lounging upon it, his head perked up, eyes watching his master.

Without a thought, the Sannin walked over to it and raised his arm level to the snake, allowing it to slither up his arm. As it did so, it informed him of something very crucial to their survival.

Kirei had, once again, broken free from her room and the base itself. She was currently exploring the town that rested below the base, another snake tracking her.

At first, Orochimaru snarled, closing his eyes in anger. "That's the third time this week…" He growled, attracting the attention of his assistant who continued to work anyway.

The Namikaze had started to do this, finding that the bars along her window weren't as sturdy as they used to be, resulting in her leaving the base. It wasn't so much of a big deal, seeing as how Orochimaru also controlled the city below them; more of, it was a nuisance because now he had to travel out and contain her.

"Kabuto," He began, letting the snake from his arm slither back onto the light it was on and turning toward his assistant. "our little mouse has escaped again." He informed, walking over.

"Would you like me to put the shackles back on her, sir?" Kabuto didn't even bother looking up to the man, trying to focus on the work in front of him.

He closed his yellow eyes. "No, no…that's too…" He searched for the right word. "kind. Breaking out like this deserves another form of containment." He reached back, into the depths of his mind, trying to remember if they had any other means of confinement.

The only thought that came to his mind was of another girl they'd had – granted, for not a lot of time – but much more of a fighter than the blonde mouse. It was a redheaded girl…

Oh yes.

A devilish smirk took the Sannin's pale lips. "Kabuto…" He began, voice alive with clever happiness. "do you remember our friend Karin?"

* * *

Walking along down the dirt path that led away from the small village, Kirei let out a heavy sigh, her hands in her pockets.

The blonde didn't want to go back. If she could, she would run into the woods right outside the small town below Orochimaru's base and try to find someone to help her. Anything to get away from the Snake and his pet.

But she knew she had to.

If she didn't go back, Orochimaru would eventually come after her, seeing as how she was the only thing really keeping Konoha's forces at bay. She may not know any jutsu or fighting moves to defend herself, but there were some things she did know and understand.

She understood that no matter what Orochimaru and Kabuto did to her or how much she hated being there, she had to stay in the base. That was the only way for her to remain "safe" and the only way she'd be found.

But how she dreaded going back to the base. She'd already escaped twice this week, thanks to a few rusted bars at her window and a sheet-rope she'd made, and had the bruises to prove that Orochimaru hated it when she did it.

It wasn't hard to figure out that when she came back this time, she'd be beaten again by Kabuto, even though, the blonde didn't care. She had been beaten so much by the Medic-nin during the few months she was there that, at this point, she'd learn to take it and block out the pain. Everytime she was beaten, it was the same thing over again and again.

Kabuto would lock the door behind him, shackle her legs and hands to the wall so she couldn't move and proceeded to kick the living shit out of her. He only had to let her stay within an inch of her life, anyway.

Even if it was painful, the same thing reiterated again and again became very boring after a while.

Another sigh escaped the blonde's mouth as she came up to the base, blue eyes centering on the sheet-rope that still remained. "At least they haven't found out yet…" She mumbled, doubting her own words. They always seemed to know one way or another.

Before actually starting her 2 story climb, Kirei tugged on the rope, making sure that Kabuto hadn't sabotaged it in some way. When she deemed it okay, she began to climb, knowing that her arms would probably hurt like hell later.

Coming up to her window, she peaked into the room, wanting to make sure that neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru were there, waiting for her. That would be rather disastrous for her.

"Good…" She smirked, climbing into the room and bringing the rope with her. She first hid the rope under her mattress, not even bothering to untie it since she'd probably go out to the town tomorrow. She replaced the bars next, making sure they were nice and loose so she wouldn't have to work them too much.

"So you've decided to come back."

Gasping slightly in surprised, Kirei whipped around, finding that her door was now open, Kabuto leaning on the doorframe, his eyes closed. She immediately noticed that instead of shackles in his hands, he had a small tray of food, probably her dinner. "If I didn't," She began, body stiff, eyes watching his every move. "You'd chase after me anyway. There's no point."

"What a smart mouse you are." He smiled a wicked smile, opening his eyes and turning to face her.

Her blue eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You're not going to beat me?" It wasn't obvious because he could lure her with the food, use a jutsu to paralyze her and then beat her with his own hands.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "As much as I want to for escaping and for just being you…" His wicked smile turned into a scowl. "Orochimaru has told me not to. Instead, I'm here with an…offer."

Blue eyes watched with great suspicion as Kabuto walked forward, coming within a few feet of her. Her stomach growled softly when her eyes flickered to the food, but she shook her head. Food could wait. "Like what?"

"Somehow, deep down in that snake like body of his, Orochimaru has found the heart to grant you some leniency." He began to explain, black eyes watching her movements as he offered the tray to her. "As in, we will allow you, during the day, to leave the base and travel into town – but _**only**_ into town. You won't be beaten for it, but if we find that you're going out at night, we will punish you." He explained further, raising an eyebrow when she didn't reach out to take the tray. "Don't want it?"

Kirei was wary, eyes searching his to make sure he was telling the truth. She knew better to think that Orochimaru just decided right out of the blue to let her go off on her own during the day. He didn't relinquish control of people that easily.

And yet…the suggestion of being away from this dull cell – even for a limited amount of time – was something the blonde couldn't afford to pass up. It wasn't like it was heaven or anything close, but she was actually able to relax within the town.

Keeping her eyes narrowed and watching Kabuto warily, Kirei reached out and took the tray, her way of saying that she wanted it. "So I can walk right out of this room, right out of base and into the town without punishment?" She asked, making sure she understood.

He let the tray go, holding back a smirk so that she wouldn't catch on. "Yes. But only during the daytime. You may not go anywhere else in the base unless one of us is with your or so instructed." He answered.

Her suspicion slowly ebbed away, eyes flickering down to the tray. As always, there was a cup of water, a sandwich that was supposed to be peanut butter and jelly and an apple. She'd throw out the apple because she hated them, but she could survive the sandwich. "…Thank you." She said quietly, knowing he'd probably laugh at her for thanking the person who beat her and walk out of the room.

Instead of scowling at her, his face remained emotionless as he turned and walked out of the room. He did find it funny that she thanked him, but he wouldn't give her any form of happiness. As soon as he walked out of the room, he shut the door behind him, not locking it, and smiled a large and devilish smile. She _**really**_ shouldn't have thanked him just yet.

Still slightly suspicious, Kirei took the tray to her bed, sitting it and herself upon the crappy mattress. She had to admit that Kabuto didn't seem like he was up to something and that her food was no different than what she was usually given, but something was off. She knew it.

Kabuto and Orochimaru were always planning something.

Taking the sandwich into her hands, she took a bite, mind wondering what they could be planning.

* * *

Walking down the corridor to meet up with the waiting Orochimaru, Kabuto's smile remained on his face, thoroughly pleased with the mouse's reaction. She'd already taken the bait; now it was just a waiting game.

A few feet down the stone corridor was Orochimaru, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting for the Medic-nin to show. He had very little doubt that the mouse wouldn't take the food, but there was always a chance that she wouldn't.

Hearing Kabuto walk toward him, he looked over to him, already knowing what had happened. The answer was as blatant as the smile on his face. "She took it?" He asked, wanting to confirm it anyway.

Kabuto nodded, stopping in front of the Sannin. "With some hesitation, yes. She's eating it as we speak." He answered, watching the raven's face.

A sly smile took the Snake's lips. "Excellent." He spoke with an evil, yet happy tone, as if the words were slithering off his forked tongue. "The drugs will put her in her place."


	13. Dreaming

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Nothing new to report other than the fact that I've finished this story completely, save for the epilogue! 3 Chapters should be coming much quicker than before, depending on my work schedule. Happy Halloween, everyone! :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 13 – Dreaming_

* * *

Feeling sick to her stomach wasn't a strange feeling. Kirei usually felt sick after a lot of things she ate. She couldn't help it.

But after eating that sandwich, she did not feel right. It wasn't as if she was sick with the flu. It wasn't like how she felt when she woke up after Kabuto knocked her out.

This was completely different.

Her throat and mouth were completely dry, beckoning her to get the cup of water still on her tray. With her eyes closed, right hand on her stomach to soothe it, she reached out with her left hand to get the cup.

When her hand didn't immediately feel the cup, she furrowed her eyebrows, knowing it was right there in front of her. "I must be going crazy." She told herself, finally opening her eyes to find something that she knew was there.

But when she opened her eyes, they began to water as she faltered, nearly falling off the bed as the back of her hand tapped the cup, knocking it over and spilling the water onto her bed. The cup continued to roll and shattered on the floor.

She flinched at the sound, startled because she didn't see it fall. What startled her more was what was going on with her vision. Seconds before she had been able to see fine, only closing her eyes because she felt sick. When she opened them now, the room was spinning to the point where her eyes watered because of it.

Taking in and letting out a shaky breath, Kirei calmed herself just a little, knowing she shouldn't panic. Panicking could lead to her feeling worse and she did not want to feel worse. Moving her right hand to her face, she let her fingers massage her temples in attempt to sooth her aching mind and maybe correct her vision while her left hand rubbed her tummy.

She waited a few minutes, knowing that it wouldn't feel better immediately. She had to give it time.

But as time when on, she didn't feel better at all. She actually felt worse, the small thought flying through her mind that maybe she should seek medical attention. The blonde really didn't want to go to Kabuto or Orochimaru – probably because she knew they wouldn't help – but they were the only people around who might actually know what was wrong with her.

Rolling her lips, Kirei took another shaky sigh, preparing herself. Even if she didn't want to, she had to go get someone. "Okay..." She mumbled, body shaking slightly as she moved to the edge of her bed, holding onto it as she got up, keeping her eyes shut.

She didn't want to look at anything for fear that it would make her feel worse. So, with her eyes closed, hand holding onto the bed to stabilize her, the blonde shuffled along the bed, knowing the door was a few feet beyond that.

Unfortunately, her stomach took a few flips as she made her way to the door, causing her to stumble and fall directly into the door. She sighed when she felt the handle, knowing that beyond the door was, hopefully, help.

Oddly enough, as she stood there, right hand on the handle, the other on her stomach, her head felt a little better. Before, it felt as if someone had smashed a brick on her head, but slowly, the pain was going away. On just a hunch, she opened her blue eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked, her vision as clear as crystal. Just to be sure, she blinked a few times, vision never wavering.

Now that her sight was working again, she felt a little bit better. Enough that maybe she could make it out of her room and into the base to find Kabuto and figure out what the hell was wrong with her.

Opening the door, Kirei slipped out of it, shutting it and leaning on it before walking off, making sure her shaky legs could hold her up. Deeming them okay as her stomach flipped once more, she walked off into the base, – without knowing exactly where she was going – her hand still holding onto her stomach to soothe it.

* * *

Not sure as to where she was, Kirei still walked on in the base, her hand now at her side. It was odd that she'd gotten so sick after eating that sandwich, but what was even odder to her was that now, after walking around for a while, she felt incredibly fine.

Her vision was absolutely fine, no matter how much she blinked or shook her head and her stomach hadn't cramped, flipped or hurt no matter what she did. But she still decided to seek out Kabuto, not knowing if she'd get sick like that again.

"Kirei!"

Stopping dead, the blonde stiffened, hearing someone call her name from behind her. She knew who it was immediately, the voice unmistakable to her ears, even though she shouldn't be hearing that voice. He wasn't here. He couldn't be.

She gulped thickly, her breathing deep and slightly quickened. But she didn't turn around. She didn't want to prove that she was just hearing things.

"Princess!" The voice called once more, this time, a little more urgent.

Gasping, Kirei's breath quickened even more as her eyes welled up, not having heard that name in a long time. Only moments passed before she turned around, watery blue eyes meeting with depthless onyx eyes.

Standing right there in front of her, not even a meter away was her black haired raven. Her Sasuke.

Out of sheer happiness, a watery smile grew on Kirei's face, lower lip quivering as her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't believe he was standing right there in front of her, waiting for her to take her home. To rescue his Princess.

Letting a few tears slip from her eyes, she rolled her lips, sobbing just a little. "I can't believe you're here…" She mumbled, wanting to run over to him and feel safe once more.

He smiled back, opening his arms so that when she did run over to him, he could hold her. "I'm here to take you home."

Blue eyes slipped shut as more tears fell, smile widening. Not able to hold back anymore, Kirei ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding onto her love tightly.

But something happened.

Her eyes still closed, she was unable to see that as soon as she'd rested her weight on her love, she fell. Her knees and forearms hit the rock floor first, right side of her face hitting a little softer. Both her arms and her face became scratched as she hardly slid on the floor.

Kirei remained still for a couple of minutes out of confusion.

Wasn't Sasuke right there? Wasn't he right there, telling her he was going to take her home? Wasn't he holding her just seconds ago?

Not understanding, the blonde propped herself up upon her now bleeding forearms, hair draping over her shoulders and arms as tears rolled off her cheeks. "What happened?"

* * *

Sasuke had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that this session with Yamato was going to be much different than any session before. Actually, even though it felt different, it was very familiar.

The day had started out like any other, Sasuke shaking off his half sleep at the Mansion, getting a nice cup of coffee and then heading out for a bit of training. After that, he went to the loft to clean up and then, walking as slow as he possibly could and taking the longest route, went to Yamato's office.

But it was just as how that day, many, many years ago had started. The day when Yamato riled Sasuke's innermost feathers and had him talk about his family's massacre.

The feeling that Yamato was going to do this, yet again, was in the pit of Sasuke's stomach as he sat in the therapist's office, waiting for the man to arrive.

It wasn't that he hated therapy or Yamato – Okay, well he hated Yamato a little bit, but that was understandable with what they'd talked about – it was just that Sasuke hated talking about the things closest to him, let alone the things that were hidden deep within his mind and heart. He believed the past was the past and it was best left in the past.

In the midst of the ticking clock, the door to Sasuke's right opened. "I'm sorry I'm late," The brunette began, shutting the door behind him with his foot, since his hands were preoccupied with many files. "I forgot to fill all of these out yesterday."

Black eyes watched him make his way to the large wooden desk and drop them ontop of it. "I can wait, if you want to finish those first." He hoped that Yamato would fill them out first. Then Sasuke could think of a way to get out of here.

Yamato let out a chuckle and smiled to Sasuke, who looked a little different today. "No, of course not," He answered, trying to find what was different with the Uchiha. "My time with you is more important." Ah, that was it! "Are you growing out your hair?" He asked, eyes centered on the usually high widow's peak of the raven's locks that was a little messy today.

He nodded, looking up at his hair. "Yeah," He was surprised that the man caught the small change. "I'm growing out my bangs since I need them for the show and the new movie. It's easier than transforming to change one little thing." He explained.

Yamato was still smiling. "That does make sense." Sitting down in his chair, the brunette cleared the middle of his desk from the stack of files so that he was able to see the Uchiha across from his as he sat.

For a few moments, the room fell to silence, Sasuke not wanting to speak and Yamato trying to find a way to speak. He knew Sasuke wasn't going to like today's subject, but it was rather important.

Sighing deeply, Yamato closed his eyes and laced his fingers together, preparing to speak. "Today's going to be very simple, Sasuke." He began. "I want to ask you only one question. I want to you think about your answer, even though, there is no wrong answer. Every answer is right, but there is one that is truly right and you'll know it when you find it." He explained, his voice calm yet firm. "Once you've found that answer, you can leave."

Sasuke's eyes were staring at the man in disbelief. One question? Only one? Maybe his luck wasn't so bad, seeing as how that feeling in his stomach was wrong. "You won't stop me?" He asked back, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Yamato shook his head. "No, I won't, so long as you answer it with the truly right answer. Do you understand?"

"Yeah." He nodded, relaxing in his chair. One question wasn't so bad. Finding an answer that was "truly" right didn't seem so bad either. With his mind, it wouldn't take too long, which meant he could be out of here sooner.

Sighing once more out of nervousness and anticipation, Yamato leaned forward, setting his elbows on the desk and looked to the Uchiha, his face very serious. "Why is Kirei so important to you?"

Black eyes blinked in shock, not expecting the question at all. Despite that, he knew the answer by heart. "Because she's my world; I love her." He answered quickly, face quite serious.

The brunette pursed his lips, closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly. "There's a deeper answer. Just because she's your "world" and you love her isn't enough." He said, hands separated and emphasizing his point. "Why, Sasuke?" He asked again. "Why is she so important?"

The raven let out a disgusted sigh, eyes detaching from Yamato. "Do we have to talk about this?" He nearly growled.

Yamato nodded, knowing he didn't like this. But he had to go through with this. "Yes," He answered, voice relatively calm. "we do. I think you know the answer, deep down. I'm sure of it. But I also think that you've forgotten it. You cannot leave here until you tell me why."

Letting a deep sigh escape through his nose, Sasuke gulped already knowing that he was not liking where this was going. Yamato really did rile him up, didn't he? His eyes remained away from the brunette. "I really…don't know."

"You do know the answer!" Yamato yelled, standing up in "anger", eyes staring at the raven. "You know it better than anyone! Why is she so important to you, Sasuke?!" He repeated, voice raised, eyes locked. "Why is it that when she's not with you, you're not yourself?! Because she's been there for you?! Because she's the cousin of your best friend?! The niece to the Hokage?! Or maybe because she's let you live in her home?!" He gave out fake answers, knowing the raven would blast back. He expected it.

"No!" Sasuke snarled, glare fixated on his therapist that was driving him insane. How dare he speak about her like that! Like she was just someone he was using! "She's more than that!"

"Then tell me why!" Yamato retorted, still faking his anger as the Uchiha gripped the chair hard enough to rip it. "Tell me why you can't seem to go a day without this one girl! Why is this one blonde haired girl so important to you that you fall apart without her!"

Black eyes were filled with rage as he glared at the brunette, but there was something else in those eyes that made him understand. Small amounts of tears had welled up within Sasuke's eyes, his anger and rage so great, he was now standing, holding his own against Yamato, who prayed he wouldn't destroy anything.

"She's the first person to understand me!" Sasuke cried, his anger ebbing away, voice becoming much softer as he tried to explain. "Yeah, Naruto's been there for me." His voice still had anger in it, though. "Yeah, he cares about me. Fuck, he's Naruto; he cares about everything. So did Sakura." He couldn't believe what he was saying, but he couldn't believe he was crying even more. "But they never understood what I went through!" He yelled into Yamato's face.

The brunette did his best to hold back a smile, knowing this was the breakthrough he was looking and waiting for. He listened very closely.

"They never understood what it was like losing the only people you had! The people closest to you!" Disgusted with his tears, he shook his head violently to get rid of them. "Naruto lost his mother before he had a chance to remember her! Before he could love her! And Sakura?" He asked, scoffing slightly. "She's never lost anyone!"

Relaxing his body, Yamato took his hands off his desk, silently listening to the Uchiha, a ghost of a smile on his face. Sasuke's reaction wasn't expected, but it was good for him.

"Even though she didn't remember her mother, Kirei lost her! She lost her father even though he never cared and neither did she! But she lost her brother, the person she loved and cared for the most, her world, when she most needed him, just like I did! Our scenarios might be different, but she understood everything that I went through and still cared!" He explained, eyes closed tightly, remembering how much pain and anguish the two had been through.

The smile was slowly growing on the brunette's facing, knowing that this was taking a toll on the Uchiha. He didn't imagine that Kirei really did mean this much to Sasuke, but when he listened and thought about it, it made so much sense.

Calming down slightly, Sasuke fell back into his chair, running a hand through his hair, the other drying his face. His eyes remained closed. "She is the only person in this world who has understood what I've gone through and who I am and still loves me for it. I can't ever imagine loosing that." His words were much softer, voice much calmer. But he meant every word he said with every fiber of his being.

Yamato's dark eyes were now soft, his breathing quiet and calm as he watched the Uchiha calm down and recompose himself. He was a little surprised when black eyes looked into his own, resolve and determination in their depths.

"She means more than enough to me that if I had to, I'd die for her."

The brunette blinked, certainly not expecting that confession, but smiled nonetheless. It was good for Sasuke to talk about this, for himself to know why he became the way he did without her. Then, with knowing this, he could learn to counter it.

"I'm proud of you for admitting that." He began, walking out from behind his desk and sitting beside the raven and setting a hand on his shoulder. "You can leave anytime you want." Knowing Sasuke, he'd be gone in a flash.

Black eyes darted away from the brunette in thought. Yeah…he did want to leave. He didn't want to think about Kirei right now, not knowing what was happening to her and not wanting to stress himself over it too much.

But there was a part of Sasuke that didn't want to leave. The part that thought maybe talking about her, making Yamato see how beautiful she was, even in her flaws and fears, would make him feel as if she were there, standing beside him.

His eyes returned to Yamato. "Actually, I want to stay." He said, face and eyes back to normal. "But I want to talk about her. About how…" God, he didn't even know where to start.

A large smile crossed the therapists face as he stood, returning to his desk for a few tissues, just in case. He came back to his seat beside Sasuke moments later. "Take your time," He began, offering the box to the Uchiha, who – as he suspected – refused it. "I'm free all day."

Running a hand through his hair once more to relax, Sasuke sighed, wondering if this was Yamato's plan all along. Make Sasuke realize what Kirei really was to him, how much he really did care for her so that maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to learn to live without her.

For the most part.

* * *

Kirei sighed a soft sigh, her breath able to be seen as it left her mouth. She was doing her best to keep warm, rubbing her arms gently to not aggravate her cuts and bruises more, but there was only so much she could do without a jacket.

It was obvious by the leaves on the ground and the bitter cold wind that winter was on its way, making this walk around town one of Kirei's last walks for the year.

But her concern wasn't placed with the snow and freezing cold soon to come. Something else, something even more confusing worried the blonde.

She wasn't sure if maybe she were dreaming, going crazy or just seeing things, but something was definitely wrong with her.

For the past two weeks, she'd been seeing someone. Someone she wanted to see with all her heart, but couldn't actually have;

Sasuke.

He'd been appearing right before her eyes, calling out her name and holding his arms open, wanting her to run to him and hold her like he'd always done. But as soon as she threw her arms around him, she fell right through to the rock floor, cutting up her face and arms.

She wouldn't ordinarily think something was wrong with her if someone else was seeing him too, but whenever she was in town and saw him, no one else seemed to notice. Even Kabuto hadn't seen him when she did. He didn't even hear him.

For the first week, she thought that maybe she was dreaming on her feet, since she didn't get a lot of sleep at night. But when she did get good sleep, he appeared again; making her think it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She really did miss him, after all.

When the second week rolled around and she still saw him, no matter if she knew he was real or not, she ran to him. She wanted him to be real and hoped with all her lovesick heart that maybe one time, he _**would**_ be real. He would be there, waiting to take her home.

She couldn't just stand there, watching him smile at her and call her name in that way he did and ignore him. She couldn't ignore the one person she loved.

Just as she couldn't ignore Sasuke, the people of the town she walked in did their best to avoid and ignore her. They knew better than to mess with Orochimaru's subjects.

"She looks worse today." One brown haired woman commented as soon as the blonde passed, her woven basket at her elbow. "The cuts looks redder, more infected."

The baker beside her, a thin man, shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well," He began, handing the woman her order. "There's nothing we can do, and if she's smart, she'll run away. If we help her, we're as good as dead. You know that." He wagged his finger at her.

She knew the baker didn't care for the Snake Sannin's subjects, but as a mother, she couldn't help but worry. "I know, I know," She sighed, nodding. "I won't do anything stupid."

"Good." He said firmly. "It'd be better if she didn't walk around here, but I can't do anything about it."

His thoughts were like most of the people's; just leave her alone and they'll continue to live.

The woman remained silent, watching as the blonde turned into an alleyway, knowing he was right even though she didn't like it. But as he said, there was nothing they could do.

Absentmindedly, the blonde continued to rub her arms as she walked down the alley, her mind busy with thoughts that made her unaware of what was going on around her.

It wasn't like she was stupid enough to really think that the Sasuke she saw was real. Actually, she knew he wasn't. He'd never done anything different every time she saw him and if it were really Sasuke, he'd probably run to her when he saw the condition she was in.

But even with knowing, she still had some fragment of hope in her heart that maybe she could run to him just one more time and he'd be real. She didn't care if she was beaten to death by doing it, so long as she found out, one way or the other.

The thought of how or why it was happening never crossed the blonde's mind. Of course, she did want to know why it was happening, but her mind was too focused on the hope that he might be real to care.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, allowing her to go back to the base, her ears heard something too familiar for her to not notice.

"Kirei!"

The blonde stopped dead, arms stopping their motions and falling to her sides. She knew that voice all too well. She'd heard it every day these past two weeks.

"Princess!" The voice called once more, this time, a little more urgent.

Kirei took a deep breath, biting her lip gently. She was dreaming again. When she turned around, she'd see her beloved and he'd tell her he was going to take her home. But he wasn't. He wasn't even real.

Despite knowing this, she turned around, allowing her blue eyes to see him again. Unlike before, they didn't well up with tears, wanting to examine his movements. "You're here." She said with fake surprise.

He smiled at her with the same smile she'd seen every day, opening his arms to hold her whenever she ran to him. "I'm here to take you home."

Something strange happened to the blonde at his words.

A small whimper escaped her lips, eyes closing in sadness as she rolled her lip. She came to understand something she already knew, but wanted to deny. It wasn't Sasuke.

He wasn't real.

"I'm here to take you home." He repeated in the same tone, position the same, smile never wavering.

A small sob escaped her mouth, eyes remaining closed as she turned away from her fake beloved and ran, not wanting her heart to be ripped open again.

With the understanding that he wasn't there to save her, Kirei knew that she could no longer run to him. As much as she hated it, as much as it hurt her to do so, she had to pretend he wasn't real. She had to pretend that Sasuke no longer existed.

_"Not what it seems  
__Not what you think…"_

The blond ran until her legs were searing with pain, heart thumping wildly, mouth gasping for breath. She leaned against the wall behind her and set her hands on her knees, trying to regain her breath.

"Kirei!"

Still breathing heavily, blue eyes stared at the ground, eyes wide in shock. "No!" She sobbed, bringing her hands to her scratched face. "Not again!"

"Princess!" The voice called once more, this time, a little more urgent.

"You're not real!" She screamed, closing her eyes tightly as she slid down the wall, not wanting to see him again. Her hands slid into her hair, gripping it tightly and pulling on it, his words only heard by her ears. "Oh god, I'm going crazy!" She sobbed hysterically.

_"I must be dreaming\  
__Just in my mind…"_

"Kirei!"

Breathing still frantic, the Namikaze shook her head, forehead resting on her knees as her hands slid down to her ears. "No! No, you're not real!" She cried, closing her eyes even tighter. "Go away! Please, just go away!"

"Princess!" The voice called once more, this time, a little more urgent.

Slowly, Kirei began to think frantically, trying to find a way to stop this. There had to be a way to stop her from going crazy. "You are not real!" She tried to convince herself, pressing her hands harder to her ears, hoping to block him out.

"Kirei!"

With each call, she pressed her hands harder to her hears, teeth biting her lip until it bled, not wanting to do the one thing she couldn't do. But for her own sanity, she knew it had to be done.

She had to ignore Sasuke.

_"Not real life  
__I must be dreaming…"_


	14. Difference

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Enjoy the chapter and have a Happy Halloween! 3

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 14 – Difference_

* * *

Leaning back in his rather uncomfy, metal chair, Kabuto let out a sigh of content. For once, he was a very happy man. With most of his supplies already moved to the North Base, he'd only been able to use less stellar supplies to finish the Rebirth Project.

But more importantly, he finished it. All he had to do now was protect it during the move and then set it up at the new base.

Orochimaru had decided nearly a week ago that they would move to the North Base for a little more security and to keep Konoha guessing. They needed to buy as much time they could get to stay alive and stay clear of harms' way.

"Kabuto," The Snake began as he walked into the room, eyeing up Kabuto's relaxed stance. "are you finished?" He asked, knowing that if he was not, he would have to be reprimanded.

The Medic-nin pulled himself forward, looking over to his boss. "Yes, actually. I just finished now."

The raven walked closer, eyes looking over the specimens and devices. "Have them transported before we leave. I plan on having a…family reunion before we officially vacate the base."

Kabuto's eyebrows ruffled in confusion, but he didn't ask. He knew that everything would play out soon enough. "Of course." He nodded, going back to his work.

A smile slipped onto the snake's face, knowing that his message would soon be received and that this little reunion would be oh, so much fun to watch.

* * *

When the small snake slithered into Naruto's Father's Office those 5 minutes ago, a scroll attached to its scaly body, Naruto was sure of who it was from, but wasn't sure if it was safe to even touch it.

He had his doubts, obviously, since its sender was the one who nearly murdered his father, but his curiosity made him want to look. It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, he was proposing a deal.

Sighing, he sat at his father's desk, the snake staring down at him with its forked tongue flickering, Naruto reached out for the scroll. He waited for the snake to make a move before taking it, but the snake never moved, allowed the blonde to take the message without fear of a bite or a trap.

He opened the scroll as soon as it touched his hand, blue eyes scanning the paper hurriedly, wanting to know what this was about. "I can't…" He began, eyes wide in shock, mouth dropped open. "I can't believe this…"

"Can't believe what?" Sasuke asked, his eyebrows ruffled as he stood at the doorway, almost missing his best friend's mumble. He was actually on his way to first make sure the blonde had eaten something today – since he usually didn't because he was so busy – and then off to take a nap.

But those words, the look on Naruto's face and the snake currently curled up on his desk made him linger just a few moments longer.

Without a word, the scroll now clenched in his hand, the Interim Hokage stood and very quickly walked over to the door, shoved the scroll into the Uchiha's hands and descended the stairs, his cloak following his footsteps. "I want everyone here. Right now." He said to the raven, who was still at the Office doorway as he took out his phone.

Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, his black eyes drawn to the scroll in his hands, reading the words with shock. "Naruto…" He began, turning and following the blonde into the living room.

It didn't take long for the other 11 Ninja to show up after receiving an urgent "Meeting" text from Naruto, all gathering in the living room, seeing as how every meeting had been in that room and it was the largest room in the house.

"Naru, hon," Hinata began, walking over to him with a worried look on her face. "What's going on?"

He let the other Ninja take some seats as he remained standing, since he'd been sitting all day. "I just got a scroll." He told them, receiving some odd glances.

So it was a scroll that called them all here. But why was it such a big deal? Naruto got scrolls all the time.

"Honestly," Shikamaru began, lying on the couch with his arms propped behind his head. "If you're ever going to be Hokage someday, you've got to learn to not rely on us all the time." He knew his words weren't nice or sweet, but it was true. Naruto had to learn to rely on his own decisions.

Sasuke continued to look at the scroll, reading it just one more time to be absolutely sure. "We have to go." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remain calm as Yamato had explained to him to do. "Dob – Naruto, we have to go to this. She could be – "

Closing his eyes, Naruto nodded, putting a hand up to the Uchiha. "I know, I know, Sasuke. Kirei's there." Before any more confusion was able to plague their minds, Naruto looked to everyone else to explain. "This "scroll" isn't something ordinary…It's from Orochimaru." He knew Shikamaru was right, but this scroll called for a little more thinking that he didn't have. "That's why I called you guys."

"You think it's a trap." Neji began, knowing the look in the blonde's eye. "You think he's trying to lure the new Hokage, don't you?"

The blonde nodded. "Well…I thought it was just a trap…I didn't go that far, but yeah, that sounds good."

Kiba took his turn. "But there's also a chance that Kirei's there. We could – "

"Orochimaru's not that stupid." Sakura interjected, knowing where the brunette was going. "He's not just going to leave Kirei out in the open for us to take. Right now, she's the only thing keeping him alive."

Naruto shook his head, small smile on his face. "Guys, guys," He calmed them, looking over everyone. "You don't even know what's on the scroll and you're already spot on about what I was thinking!" He said incredulously. He knew his friends knew him, but not _**this**_ well.

"Than what is the scroll about?" Lee asked as he tilted his head, voice much more light and relaxed than some of his companions.

"Orochimaru is proposing some kind of deal," Sasuke answered, since the scroll was in his hands. "although he doesn't have any details on here. It just says that he'd like to meet with the New Hokage and whoever he wants to bring along to make up a deal." He explained.

"He probably wants the Hokage position." Shino said as he pushed up his glasses. It wasn't like he needed to say it, since everyone knew it, but he thought it better to say it anyway.

"But he doesn't know I'm Hokage." Naruto replied. "And if you are all with me…I'm sure there's no way he could kill me."

The words were strange, although the thought of Naruto dying was even stranger. No one would ever let that happen, but just the thought of having to fight for Naruto's life was very unnerving.

There was a small silence before Sakura continued. "But we can't be 100% sure about anything with Orochimaru around. He could have all of us ambushed and go right after you, Naruto." She said, knowing it's not what he wanted to hear.

"She's right." Neji nodded in agreement. "We can't be sure about anything with him. I've never known the Yondaime to be injured – even once – and for Orochimaru to do that…we don't know what's in store."

Naruto sighed once more, letting his eyes slip shut as he leaned against the armrest of the couch next to him. "I know guys…but, Sakura, you've said it yourself that there isn't anyone on this earth other than Orochimaru who could bring my dad back, or at least, quickly that is. Plus, Kirei is with him. If we can just keep our guard up, we can beat him. I know it." He said, running a hand through his blonde locks.

Everyone could easily see that Naruto wasn't dealing with this easily, glances shared among the group, wondering what they should do.

Yes, the Orochimaru could give them the antidote for the Yondaime and have him back in office within three days. Yes, they could save Kirei from the hell her life was at the moment. Yes, they could kill him and never have any more problems.

But there was always that small percentage of something going wrong. Whether it be by their own fault or Orochimaru's cunning, they couldn't honestly believe with all their heart that they could walk right into the Sannin's base and walk out without a scratch.

"Shikamaru," Naruto began in the silence, taking a silent deep breath as he stood, looking to everyone with adamant blue eyes. "You told me I should start making my own decisions. If I decided to go to the base and work out a deal," He began, speaking more to the group than just Shikamaru. "would you follow me?"

Once again, glanced around the group were exchanged, their faces mostly exempt of emotion.

"News flash for you, Naruto:" Kiba began, standing up from his seated position, Akamaru following his movements. "You are the Hokage."

"I know tha – "

The other Ninja in the room understood where Kiba was going and in his fashion, stood. "As citizens of Konoha, we follow our Hokage, even to the ends of the earth." They said together, all eyes looking to their Hokage.

"More importantly," Sasuke interjected, the scroll set aside, his eyes square with blue eyes when they turned to look at him. "we help our friends when they ask for it."

The large and familiar grin of the Uzumaki appeared on his face, eyes alive with belief and happiness. "Then we're going to Orochimaru's base."

He really did have the most amazing, awesome and invaluable friends on the planet.

* * *

After the Hokage had firmly decided that he was traveling to Orochimaru's base to at least see what he was proposing, the rest of the day had been spent preparing for two things, mainly.

Travel was the major of the two, since it would take at least two and half, if not three days to reach the base that had been marked on the map provided with the scroll. They had also decided on how they would be placed, knowing that they couldn't just waltz into the Snake's lair without someone appearing. That would be a stupid move on their part.

Shikamaru and Neji had collaborated on the design of their team, along with the placement of everyone. To ensure Naruto the most protection – and because he was really the heart behind all of this – he would remain in the middle, Sakura on one side of him, Sasuke on the other. They would be his last line of defense if everyone else had failed.

The outer ring of the team would be close to the shape of a diamond, allowing all angles around them to be seen and protected. Because of their Byakugan and their Gentle Fist technique, Hinata and Neji would be the top and bottom point of the diamond. Kiba and Shikamaru followed Hinata, one on her left, the other on her right with Shino and Ino following behind them. Tenten and Chouji were mirrors of Shino and Ino's position, although they were traveling behind Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. After Tenten and Chouji were Lee and Akamaru, who were in line with Kiba and Shikamaru. Akamaru had been split up from Kiba, only because he could also sense enemies like Kiba and because they had no one else to fill the gap. Neji followed up the very rear, keeping an eye on enemies who could be following them.

The second thing they prepared for was something other than traveling, and possibly, wouldn't happen. But there was always that chance that it would.

Everyone gathered their best Kunai, Seals and knowledge of the Snake Sannin, knowing that it wasn't likely that they could just waltz into his lair and expect to come out unharmed. That would be another stupid move.

So they had prepared for travel and for battle, full knowing what they all would to do protect their Hokage and friend and yet, not knowing what awaited them in Oto.

* * *

"This is really it?" Kiba asked as everyone came to a stop on the tree branches of the tree line, not yet wanting to leave the safety of the trees. "It looks more like a prison than a base."

Both Hinata and Neji could confirm that it was the base, able to see the inside. "Yes," The female Hyuuga nodded, clear eyes examining the inside. "It's definitely it." She didn't want to say it, but she was clearly able to see the Snake waiting for them.

Nervous glances were shot to each other and to Naruto, wondering if maybe he wasn't going to go through with it, but when they saw the depths and determination as he stared at the base, they knew he was going.

"Let's go." He began, voice oddly soft. "Just keep on your guard and don't make a move until he does." He reminded them, glancing to all of them to reassure them. "We'll be okay."

With a nod and a few smiles, they left the safety of the trees and proceeded into the base, Hinata leading the way.

Sitting upon a throne of rock, crafted in the likeness of snakes, Orochimaru smiled when he heard the footsteps of many Ninja, knowing the Hokage had accepted his invitation. "So good of you to have come," He began in his silky voice, waiting for them to appear in the light of his large hall. "Ninja of Konoha, and Hokage, of course."

His yellow eyes watched them as they entered, checking their abilities and weapons, waiting for the Hokage to come into view to find out who they had appointed. When the white Hokage cloak came into view, his eyes zeroed in on him, hoping to send fear and despair into whoever he was. He wanted that position and no matter what, he was going to get it.

Determined, adamant and angry blue eyes meet the yellow eyes, making them go wide slightly in shock. "Yeah, yeah," Naruto spoke, keeping his eyes with Orochimaru's. "Nice to be here."

The Snake remained silent in anger and shock, hating that now he'd have to fight yet another Namikaze for Hokage. "I see you've become Hokage, fox boy." He snarled, nostrils flared at the thought of another Namikaze blocking his way to power.

Naruto nodded, evil smile slipping onto his face. "Yeah," He answered, knowing how much Orochimaru hated his blood. "I am Hokage. At least until my dad comes back." He spoke with confidence and a little bit of smugness.

Despite his immense anger, his fingernails digging into the rock of his chair, Orochimaru remained calm, remembering that it wasn't the plan to kill him yet. "You are smart for bringing weapons with you, but you don't need them." He said, narrowing his eyes at the new Hokage. How those blue eyes disgusted him. "I've invited you here to propose a deal…that would benefit the both of us."

The collective group did not believe anything Orochimaru had planned benefited them in the least.

"And what would that be?" Sakura asked in a calm manner, not wanting to rile herself up.

Drawing his eyes away from Naruto, he looked to the rosette, smiling as he remembered her. "I remember you," His smile grew, finger pointing to her. "the pretty pink haired girl I kidnapped a few years ago." Delight filled his eyes when he saw her blink in shock, remembering the ordeal.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she sighed to calm herself again.

"That's not what this is about," Shikamaru reminded the Sannin, black eyes glancing to Sakura to make sure she was alright. "Tell us your end of the deal."

Bringing his hand back to his face, leaning upon it, Orochimaru looked to Shikamaru. "And I thought you were the lazy one." His smile lessened when he received no reaction from the Nin and returned his gaze to the blonde he hated. "The deal is this, Hokage," He spat. "I will gladly restore the Yondaime to his former health, swear an Oath to not attack him again. I will even return your beloved cousin," His eyes glanced to Sasuke, smirk on his face. "to you, free of all illnesses and pains."

Glances were shared. They all knew that the other end of the deal would be that he wants Hokage – in which their answer would be no – but they didn't realize that he'd go to such lengths, healing both the Yondaime and Kirei, along with returning them and swearing not to hurt the Yondaime again to get it.

He saw the glances and knew their answer would be no, but the Sannin had something up his sleeve that they possibly would not be able to refuse. "I will happily do all of this, for only one little thing;" A smile took his lips as he spoke. "the position of Hokage."

Naruto's eyes never wavered, expecting the answer. "I will never relinquish Hokage to you." He snarled, eyes smoldering with hate.

"We won't stand for it." Sasuke added, his voice as angry as Naruto's. He wanted Kirei back, but he was not going to let Orochimaru become Hokage. He'd find another way to save her.

The smile remained on his face as he set his head on his hand, hearing footsteps from down the hall. "Oh," He began, knowing who it was. "I think the mouse might be able to change your mind."

She wasn't sure that she really heard the voices from the Grand Hall, since she'd been hearing and seeing few things that weren't real, but Kirei's curiosity had driven her from her room, wanting to know if those voices were real. They'd sounded like Nii-san's and Sakura's voices, but if she'd already been seeing and hearing the Fake Sasuke, maybe she was just hearing their voices too.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba asked in a rage, staring the Sannin down. "The mouse?! Who the hell is that?!"

He continued to smile, hearing her footsteps come closer. "If you remain patient and quiet, she'll appear."

Onyx eyes blinked, his head snapping up in disbelief. "You don't mean…" Slowly, the Uchiha's heart began to quicken at the thought of seeing Kirei again, eyes locked onto Orochimaru to find some sort of truth to his words.

Hinata was the one to confirm his words, her hands traveling to her agape mouth as she saw the blonde poking her head out from one of the hallways to her right. "…Kirei…" She could also see the bruises and cuts her friend was riddled with.

As the other's eyes traveled to the somewhat visible Namikaze, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji, Tenten and Lee kept their eyes on the Sannin just in case he was just using her as a distraction.

When her blue eyes saw all of her old friends standing there, some looking at her, the blonde retracted her head quickly, leaning against the wall. She could understand if she was seeing Naruto and maybe Sakura…but everyone? Looking down, she bit her lip, eyes nervously glancing back and forth. "Maybe…they are real…" She mumbled.

He knew he saw her. She was right there, right there in front of him, looking at him. "Kirei?" He asked softly, eyes fixed on that hallway as he broke formation, walking up to and past Hinata.

Hearing his voice call her name, Kirei's mind told her that he wasn't real. It was just another fake, wanting to cut her up and tear her heart apart. But there was a feeling, somewhere in her heart that made her stand and poke her head out once more.

When his eyes met with hers once more, he froze with shock, remembering how lovely and deep those eyes had always been. "Princess?" For fear that she wasn't real, that it was a trick of Orochimaru's, he remained in his spot, calling to her.

She continued to look at him warily, her eyes examining his person, as if she'd never seen him before. Remaining silent, she slowly walked out of the hallway, coming closer to the group gradually. Her eyes flickered to each person in the room, but always came back to Sasuke, watching him with great caution.

She was not, in any way, going to be tricked again. Her heart couldn't take much more of it.

As she made her way closer, the Ninja who had their eyes on her were in a state of shock, able to clearly see all of the cuts, marks, bumps, bruises and even dried blood on her arms and face. Even her knees were bloody, the stains showing through the holes and on the jeans themselves.

If they didn't know any better, it looked as if she'd been beaten every day she was there.

Sasuke gulped as she came nearer to him, his eyes staying with hers but also looking at the bruises and cuts everyone else could see. "Kirei…" He began softly, eyes boring into hers. How he wanted to run up to her and wrap her in his arms to protect her from all the evils around her, but that look in her eyes made him stay where he was.

Orochimaru watched the scene with a large smirk, not knowing what was going to happen. He had a feeling that it would be very enjoyable, though.

As his cousin, his beaten little sister walked closer to Sasuke, Naruto tore his gaze from her – unable to see her in that state – and turned his glare on Orochimaru, who sat, a smug smile on his face. "Who did this to her?!" He demanded, voice an angry roar.

He flicked his gaze to the angered Hokage, smile still plain on his face. "Why don't you ask her?" He answered. "Kabuto and I had nothing to do with this."

Kirei was not fazed by her cousin's voice, too enwrapped in the raven in front of her to hear it. Stopping only a few feet from him, she continued to look into his eyes, wondering if he really was real. If this was really _**her**_ Sasuke, the one she remembered.

He certainly looked a little different from what she'd been seeing lately; he was slightly taller now and his hair…his widow's peak wasn't as noticeable, a few bangs growing over his usually open forehead. But everything else was the same. Even the look in the eyes, the urgency and sadness in the voice. She'd heard her it all before.

He'd heard what the Snake bastard had said, that they didn't do this to her. Sasuke had little doubt that that was true. Who else could have done something like this, something that would scar her forever? "Ki – "

Before he was able to say it again, she slowly raised her right hand, eyes never wavering from his. She continued to watch his eyes as they watched her hand, slowly reaching out for his cheek, wanting to caress it like she'd done times before, hoping that maybe this time he was real.

But she stopped. Fingertips only a breath away from his skin, she stopped, eyes wide and disbelieving. Why would this time be any different? Why, even if he looked different, would he be any more real than the last time? She was only setting herself up for more hurt, for more torment. "No…" She began, her voice soft, eyes glossy with tears. "You're not real…" Her hand returned to her side as she backed up, eyes closing, unable to look into his shocked black eyes any longer. "Just fiction…" She mumbled, running both hands into her hair and gripping it in confusion.

Before Sasuke could even begin to understand, she ran away, back down the hallway she came.

For more than a few moments, the Uchiha stood right where he was, staring blankly at where Kirei had been standing. He wasn't…wasn't real? But that…that didn't make any sense? How could he not be real?

"You had to have done this, Orochimaru!!" Naruto yelled, glaring with all his might at the Sannin who continued to smile. "There's no one else who could hurt her like that!"

"Oh, but there is." His snake like sight shifted to the blonde, smile still set on his face. "And since Uchiha boy chased her off, I'll tell you who's been…taking care of your cousin."

"That's not what we're here for," Shikamaru began. Of course Kirei was important, but they also had to remember what they came here for; the proposal. "We're here for the – "

"I want to know." Sasuke cut him off, Sharingan red eyes glaring at the Snake, his fists shaking. No one would ever live after doing that to her. No one.

Sliding his gaze away from the Uzumaki, Orochimaru looked at Sasuke, a shiver going through him at the sight of the Sharingan. "You did."

The Sharingan faded in an instant, black eyes blinking in disbelief. "That's not possible." He growled, his doubt waning. Could it really have been him? That could be why she didn't think he was – No. He couldn't think like that. He wasn't there to do that to her. He couldn't have done it.

Orochimaru smiled. "Anything is possible." He told him, watching his heart break through the pain in his eyes. He'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to torture the Uchiha. "Just like accepting a small little deal." He returned his gaze to Naruto, smile wavering.

It wasn't easy. Saying no and leaving his father in a coma, leaving Kirei here, to further her torment and misery. But he had to. "I will never, ever," He began, staring down the Snake with the blue eyes he hated. "relinquish Hokage to you. I'll die before that happens, even if it means my family dies."

The smile slithered from his lips, a scowl replacing it. "Then so be it. The next time you see her, she will be dead." Unlike any other words he'd spoken before, these words were harsh and venomous, just like a snake's bite. With one last glare, he vanished in poof of smoke, leaving the Konoha Ninja to despair.


	15. Help

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

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_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ I am very, very sorry this chapter is much later than usual. I've been a busy, busy girl with school, work, driving, crushes and everything else. I'm not going to complain and make excuses, because I hate when others do it, so I won't. I should have another chapter posted sometime later this week, hopefully on Friday? I'm not sure when, but soon. I will say that this is one of my favorite chapters, only because it's so unexpected. You'll see what I mean when you read it xD I hope life's okay for everyone reading and please, enjoy reading!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 15 – Help_

* * *

Hunching over in his father's chair, Naruto sighed a normal sigh, taking a break from his work. He brought his hands to his face, rubbing his cheeks and eyes in an effort to keep himself awake and relax.

It'd been almost a week since the group's visit with Orochimaru and for obvious reasons, the blonde couldn't stop thinking about his cousin. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to distract himself from the image of her beaten and bloody, let alone the thought that he left her there to get beaten some more, probably.

He knew he didn't have much of a choice because in reality, what was best for the town came first, but he still had that heavy feeling in his heart that he'd done the wrong thing.

"You alright?"

Face still in his hands, Naruto looked up to the doorway, a small smile slipping onto his face. "Yeah, Shika," He nodded, sitting up straight to relax his sore back and returning his hands to his lap. "I'm okay." He answered as the Nara took a seat.

Sitting across from his best friend, Shikamaru doubted his words. He could tell there was something on the blonde's mind, able to see it clear in his eyes and had a feeling as to what it was. "I know it wasn't easy for you to leave her there," He began, knowing the two cousins were particularly close. He didn't care much for her, especially when she was being rather loud, but tolerated her from time to time. She was the cousin of his best friend, after all.

Closing his eyes, Naruto put a hand up, shaking his head slightly. "Please, Shika," He began, knowing the Nara meant well. "I don't want to talk about that." He'd already thought about it enough this week.

"Alright," The brunette nodded quickly, not used to hearing Naruto plead like that. "I won't say anything more."

He ran his hands through his hair, trying his best to remain relaxed, or at least, some form of it. "Thanks." He sighed, small smile remaining on his face. "I already know I did the right thing, even though it does feel kinda wrong. I'm just trying to focus on what to do next." He informed the Nara.

Black eyes watched his friend, noticing how ragged the blonde looked, probably from the guilt he was feeling. "You mean with Orochimaru?" He asked, knowing that there was more than just one thing on the Hokage's mind. "Or with Sasuke?"

Closing his eyes once more, Naruto sighed, almost having completely forgotten about what the raven was going through. His own reaction to her wasn't too bad; he only felt guilty about leaving her there and wanted to get her back. Sasuke on the other hand became an insomniac, his mind constantly thinking about her, about how she became and how she'd become if she was left there longer.

"No." Naruto shook his head slightly. "I mean, yeah, I'm worried about him and all, but Yamato's got him on tranquilizers to get him sleeping again – "

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose in understanding as he nodded. "So that's how he got to sleep on the couch downstairs."

"Yeah," The blonde nodded. "that's why I'm not too stressed about him right now. If he gets worse…" He looked to the brunette.

He nodded in understanding. If Sasuke started getting any worse, Naruto would worry and stress more about him, but for right now, he was more concerned with other things. Which made sense, because there were more important things going on. "Then you're thinking about what to do with Orochimaru?" He asked.

The blonde nodded, moving some of the papers on his desk to occupy his hands. "Yeah…but Shikamaru," He looked over to his wise friend, eyes showing hints of defeat in them. "I don't know what to do anymore." His voice sounded just like his eyes looked; defeated.

Shikamaru's eyebrows creased slightly. It wasn't like Naruto to be this defeated over something. "What do you mean?" He asked, lacing his fingers together.

"We can't ask other villages for help – even though Gaara might help us – because Orochimaru's done nothing against them. We don't have enough ninja in the village to have enough power to go and defeat him while having enough reserves here, just in case he comes after the village." He explained, eyes never remaining in one spot for more than a few seconds. "I don't know what else to do."

The Nara sighed heavily, eyes closing as his thumbs twiddled. He could read the blonde just as well as Hinata could, but he had no clue Naruto was this lost as to what to do. What he had just told him made perfect sense, which made him smile a little because he was finally learning to be a better Hokage, yet, it made it even harder.

Without help from the other villages, they were on their own. But to defeat Orochimaru, they'd need more than a few powerful Ninja, which they had to be careful about. They had to leave some in the village to protect it, but who knew how many they'd need exactly?

Naruto watched his friend think, hoping with all his heart he had thought of something they could do. He was too tired to think, too tired of thinking about what to do. "Please, Shikamaru, tell me you've thought of something." He begged once more, laying his arms on his desk and his head on his arms. He was so taking a nap after this, if time allowed it.

The lazy nin set his head on the back of the chair, continuing to think. "I am thinking." He replied, knowing the blonde would stay silent.

Okay. So they couldn't reach to other villages for help and they couldn't afford to take too many Ninja out of the village. If anything, they could seek consults instead of actually getting help to beat Orochimaru.

Shikamaru knew better than anyone that with the combined talents of the team they had now, emotions fueling them to fight better, they could definitely beat Orochimaru. That was no problem. It was actually getting to Orochimaru and understanding his tactics that they had to get help with.

Focusing on these two points, getting to and understand the Snake's tactics, the Nara continued to think. They didn't want to consult too many people; no, that would be confusing, hearing different things from different people. They needed just one person for each point.

Suddenly, the brunette's black eyes opened, smirk coming onto his face. He had the two people they needed to help. "Naruto," He began, seeing the blonde slowly pick his head up. "I've got it. I know who we need to get."

Perking up slightly, a small smile took the Hokage's face as he sat up. "Really? That was quick."

"Instead of a huge team, what we need are just two people who know Orochimaru." He began, shortening his thought process. "We can beat him, we all know that. We just need to know how to get to him and understand his tactics, that way we're prepared."

Naruto nodded, all of it making sense. He was so thankful he had a genius as one of his best friends.

"Well, instead of pulling out a bunch of Ninja and running around to find him, we're going to get these two people and keep them with us until we can beat him." His smile grew as he spoke, knowing this could all be over sooner than anyone imagined if they cooperated.

He nodded once more, agreeing with the plan. But something in the Uzumaki's mind made him a little hesitant. He had a feeling who the two people were, and if they were who he thought, he wouldn't do it. "Who are they?" He asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"Karin and Sai." He answered happily. They were perfect in every manner. Karin, because she had already been through Orochimaru's grasps and knew what he was like, while Sai used to be a subordinate of the Snake. He knew where every base was.

As soon as he'd heard the second name, blue eyes stared at the Nara for only a moment before he spoke. "No. Not any way in hell."

Brown eyebrows creased, his head tilting in confusion. "Naruto, they're perfect. Karin knows his tactics and Sai knows where everything is." He tried to reason.

Closing his eyes, the Hokage once again brought his hand to his face, rubbing it to relax. "Look, Shika," He began, keeping his eyes closed. "I completely understand that they'd be great to have with us."

Shikamaru had a feeling that Naruto was letting his feelings get in the way of his decisions again, watching how the blonde avoided looking at him.

He did keep his eyes closed, hands moving with his words. "But Karin's had a rough life. She went through a lot of different Hells and I don't want to have her relive that just because we're unable to figure out what Orochimaru's tactics are." He explained, voice level and calm. "And with Sai…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He and I went through a lot in the past and I do not, under any circumstance, want to be around him at all." His previously calm voice had turned not angry, but adamant.

Shikamaru's fingers laced once more as he leaned forward. "I can understand why you don't want to bother Karin, Naruto, I really do." He started off. "But, you really need to learn to set aside – "

"My feelings and make decisions, yes, I know, Shikamaru." He cut off, almost growling the statement.

The brunette nodded. "Yes, you do. People's lives are at stake here. Your father and your cousin's lives are at stake." He reasoned once more. "Karin can help us until she doesn't want to anymore. Even just the tiniest bit of information can help, you know that." He kept his eyes on the blonde even though he wouldn't look at him.

Naruto kept his eyes closed, not wanting to look at the Nara. He knew that if he did, with listening to his reasons, would make him waffle and he did not, in any way want to talk to either of them.

"And whatever your past is with Sai," He continued, voice still calm, yet slightly angry. "I strongly suggest that you set it aside. You have to stop thinking about the past and start thinking about the future."

The Interim Hokage let out a heavy sigh. He knew Shikamaru was right. The Hokage was a person who was able to make decisions based upon fact, not emotions. His emotions, past and compassion for other made him not want to face Sai or Karin. But the facts were the facts.

To defeat Orochimaru, restore his father to his Hokageship and bring Kirei back alive, he would need their help.

Opening his eyes, he looked to his friend, a weak smile on his lips. "Alright, Shikamaru." He relented, making a smile come across the Nara's face. "But," He continued. "I'm only going to talk to one of them. I'm going to ask Sasuke if he would like to speak to either one, since he feels the same way about all of this."

His smile didn't waver. It was probably a good idea to involve the Uchiha. It would give him something to do that could get his mind off of Kirei. "Finally…" He answered, sighing and closing his eyes, leaning back and relaxing into the chair. "I thought it'd take forever to convince you."

Naruto's smile grew as he shook his head. Just like Shika. "Now I've just got to – "

"Go take a nap." The brunette cut him off, smiling. "You need your rest too. I'll finish up whatever you have to do and you can talk to Sasuke later." He insisted.

The blonde had no problem with refusing. He didn't have the energy to refuse. "Thanks, Shikamaru." He answered, nodding and smiling to the lazy Nin. Standing, he took only moments to explain what he'd done and what needed to be done.

When that was cleared, he left the room, knowing it was in good hands. And seeing how Hinata was in his room reading a book, he knew he was in good hands too.

* * *

For once in the many months that his Princess had been gone, Sasuke let out a relaxed sigh, nearly sprawled on the couch of the Manor living room.

He didn't know why he was relaxed, but damn it felt nice. It could have been the silence of the usually bustling living room, the tranquilizers that kept him in a dreamy state for an hour or two after he woke up or that some of Kirei's music was playing through his Ipod. But he didn't really care.

It just felt nice to be relaxed, even when a certain blonde was watching him from behind the couch.

"I know you're there, dobe." He spoke out of the blue, eyes closed as his head rested on the back of the couch. He had known for a few minutes that Naruto was standing there, able to feel small spikes in the blonde's chakra that meant he was probably nervous.

The Interim Hokage jumped at the sudden movement of the Uchiha, not expecting him to speak suddenly. He thought the raven was still asleep. "Jeez," He began, trying to calm himself as he walked around the couch, to sit next to him. "You don't have to scare the hell out of me to let me know you're awake."

Sasuke simply smirked, bringing his head back up as he paused the music device in his hand and set it aside, headphones and all. "But it's too much fun." He replied calmly, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "Plus, you make it way too easy; you're nervous."

His mouth dropped open slightly, blue eyes staring at the Uchiha. He always knew Sasuke could read him pretty easily, but not that easily! "How was your sleep?" He asked, trying to avoid the subject of his nervousness.

Sasuke noticed the sudden change of subject, his eyebrow rising slightly, but he let it go. "Best it can be with tranquilizers, I guess." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not like I dream or anything."

Naruto nodded, eyes staring at the raven as if he was very interested and focused on what he was saying. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, he did want to make sure his friend was doing well, but he did not want to talk about what he really came down to the living room _**to**_ talk about. "Really?" He asked, voice fake with interest. "I guess you wouldn't…but wouldn't you if they made you sleep deeply?"

Black eyes half lidded, he looked at the blonde skeptically. Oh, didn't he sound enthused? "Naruto, stop talking." He commanded, voice monotonous. "You didn't come down here to ask me how I slept. Ask your question."

Jeez. Sasuke really had a way of getting straight to the point, didn't he? The blonde let out a sigh, eyes deflecting to the floor. "Fine…" He mumbled, not wanting to talk about that, but figuring that Sasuke would probably kill him if he didn't. "Shikamaru and I were talking earlier, while you were sleeping," He began to explain. "and it's pretty obvious that we need help."

Help? Sasuke ruffled his eyebrows, eyes watching his friend as he crossed his arms. Who did they need help from? Konoha had more than enough Ninja to protect the village and, combined, defeat Orochimaru…didn't it?

Naruto saw his confused look and at his silence, continued. "It's not that we need more power or special abilities." He smiled slightly, blue eyes meeting black. "You and I both know we can take him out, with how pissed we are."

His confusion was lifted slightly, a small smile on his still confused face. There wasn't a person in the world who would deny that fact.

"It's just…" The blonde continued, his eyes falling away once more. "to actually take him out…we need to find him first. Knowing his tactics and understandings wouldn't hurt either." He said, glancing to the Uchiha.

His arms loosened just a bit, eyebrows relaxing. That certainly made sense. To defeat an opponent as strong as the Sannin, they'd have to know almost every detail of his mind. Knowing where he was, was a given. But Sasuke was still slightly confused. "What does all of that have to do with me?" He asked, knowing the blonde didn't come down here just to tell him that.

It seemed to him that the Uzumaki knew who he wanted to talk to for help, so why didn't he just go talk to them?

Shrugging his shoulders sheepishly, Naruto continued to look away, his hand reaching for the back of his neck, smile slight on his face. "Well…You feel almost the same way about what's happening to Nee-chan as I do…" He began, voice soft. "So I figured it would be easier if we double teamed them, that way, they can't refuse, you know? You're good at convincing people." He finally looked to the raven, who looked a little shocked.

He was, being that Naruto really had thought it out to involve him, but also because he was right; whether it was through emotion or threats, he was good at persuading others. "Alright," He smirked, nodding to his friend. "I'll talk to…"

Blue eyes looked away once more as he took a deep sigh. "Either Karin or…Sai." He finally said, although he already knew Sasuke's answer.

It was obvious that it would be Karin he would pick. Sasuke already knew the redhead, being that he filmed with her near every day and with knowing her, could easily convince her. It didn't make much sense for him to pick Sai, since they didn't really know each other. Sai had arrived to the film grounds and Konoha when Sasuke had been away for quite some time on a mission. They met for almost a week before Sai was locked away in Konoha's Ninja prison.

Sasuke was on the same line of thinking. He didn't really know or understand Sai, which wouldn't help when he had to convince him to help them out. But Karin…he knew Karin. Maybe not like he knew Naruto, but knew enough to convince her to help even though it hurt. "I'll talk to Karin," He answered after a few moments of silence. "if that's alright with you."

Naruto's eyes came back to his friend, nodding quickly. "Of course that's alright, Teme." His smile contradicted the sound of disappointment in his voice. "She'll be harder to convince anyway, with what she went through."

"Yeah," The raven agreed, allowing his arms to fall to his sides as he looked to the window. "she's a handful." That was not an understatement. "I'll head over now and see if I can catch them before they head home." He informed, getting up from the couch. Save for him, Hebi could usually be found at the film grounds almost every day.

The Hokage nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. "Okay." He answered, feeling the butterflies in his stomach start to fly about. "I guess I'll head over and talk to Sai." He said hesitantly, never imagining he'd be saying those words.

The Uchiha sensed his nervousness and set a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine." He said calmly, making sure the blonde was looking at him. "Trust me." With his words, he vanished, preparing himself to talk to the fiery redhead named Karin.

Naruto smiled ever so slightly. For Sasuke to say that, with that look on his face, it had to be true. But he wouldn't be able to shake his nervousness until he was there, talking with the traitor who could possibly save his family's life.

* * *

For three years his days had been spent chained to a brick wall, bars obscuring his view of the window beyond them that lead to the outside world. It wasn't easy those first few weeks, but slowly, Sai had grown very used to seeing the dull gray of the bricks and rock around him in place of the beautifully rich greenery of Konoha.

He certainly missed it, but with what had happened those years ago, was happy to be alive. It was easier to deal with knowing that the only person he truly loved was happy living the life he wanted to live.

Like many moments before, Sai thought about the lovely tanned blonde, mind wondering how much different he looked now or if he looked any different at all. He hoped the blonde locks that he was known for remained, framing the face that held those depthless blue eyes.

He sighed softly, allowing his eyes to close and picture he who he missed. His eyes opened slightly when he heard the door to his corridor shut.

"But Hokage, sir – " The raven recognized the voice of his guard, who had stayed nameless over these three years. Sai simply knew him as Panda, since the ANBU mask he wore was that of the black and white bear.

"I will be perfectly fine." Naruto didn't mean to snap at the guard, knowing he meant well, but was very on edge being here. "Thanks for your concern, though." He nodded, not wanting the ANBU to think he didn't appreciate it.

He already knew the Interim Hokage's position and felt no hurt from his remark. "Of course, Hokage." He nodded, and, as instructed, went back through the door that led to the other inmate's cells, leaving the traitor and Hokage alone in the corridor. "I will be outside, should you need me."

Keeping his back to the ANBU, he nodded, hearing the door close behind the masked man. Closing his eyes, he sighed softly, preparing himself to face the person he'd sworn to never face again.

Wide black eyes stared at the opening of the corridor in pure and total disbelief. He knew that voice. He loved that voice.

Gulping thickly, he watched and waited, hearing slow footsteps come closer to him, heart beating quicker with each footstep. Had the blonde really come to see him, even when he had sworn to never look at his traitorous face again?

Naruto kept his eyes closed as he walked, wanting to not see him until the last possible second. Figuring he was in the middle of the cell, directly across from the raven, he stopped and turned, facing him. He spoke as he opened his eyes, looking directly at the artist. "Hello, Sai."

All breath leaving his lungs, Sai thought his heart stopped as he stared into those blue eyes he sorely missed. He couldn't believe that the blonde was standing right across from him, almost close enough for him to reach out and touch, had it not been for the chains around his wrists. "Hello, Naruto." He replied, feeling his heart flutter at the name.

Naruto gulped, already seeing the heartbreak in black eyes, making him close his own. "Look, Sai, I'm not here for a personal visit or because I wanted to see you." He explained immediately, not wanting the artist to get the wrong impression. "I – Konoha needs your help." He corrected himself, allowing his eyes to open, but remaining on the floor.

Anyone with eyes could see that Naruto was nervous and that he honestly didn't want to be there. Sai could, but it didn't make him any less happy. He got to see the person he loved most, no matter of how they felt, didn't he? "My help?" He questioned, examining every detail of the blonde.

He'd gotten much taller since the last time he'd seen the Uzumaki and his hair had grown out quite a bit, which made him all the more lovely to look at. He was thankful that Naruto hadn't lost his caramel like tan, along with those cute little fox whiskers on his face. The Hokage cloak was a nice touch, though.

Even without seeing him, Naruto knew Sai was looking him over and sighed. He just had to stay calm and level headed. "Yes," He nodded, closing his eyes again. "a lot has happened recently and as Hokage, I've come to realize that whatever past we have must not affect my judgment. We need your help." He didn't want to explain everything here, just in case, but tried his best to convince the traitor.

Sai couldn't believe his ears. The Naruto he used to know wasn't this mature, although, it was nice to see. He couldn't say he liked it all that much – he preferred the happy, not a care in the world Naruto – but it was nice to see how he'd grown up. "I'll help on one condition," He began, seeing the blonde perk up a little bit, making Sai blink. Maybe he really did need his help. "and it's non negotiable."

Naruto let out a shaky sigh, heart dropping. Of course. It was probably going to be something with him, wasn't it? He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so long as you promise not to do anything like before." The blonde couldn't go through all of that again.

The raven understood his feelings, knowing all of the hurt and pain they'd both gone through those years ago. He didn't want Naruto to have to relive it. "I swear on my life I'd never do anything like that again, for you, Naruto."

Leaning against the wall to take some pressure off of his feet, the Hokage sighed once again. Why couldn't Sai just leave the past in the past? "Good," He nodded. "Because I'm not really in the mood to spare people right now."

Sai could obviously tell that the Hokage wasn't joking. Something major had to have happened for him to become this way and decided that maybe he shouldn't fool around. "The only way I'll help is that, the entire time I'm out of here," He kept his eyes solely on the blonde. "I'm handcuffed to you."

For the first time during the visit, shocked and angered blue eyes looked at the raven. "No way in hell, Sai!" He roared, pushing off the wall. "I'm not giving you the chance to hurt everyone again!"

Black eyes closed, head turning away from the blonde. "I'm sorry, Naruto." He began, knowing that he never got the chance to apologize before he was locked away. "I didn't mean for a lot of things to happen back then, but they did."

"You're damn right they did!" He retorted, stepping forward and gripping the bars that separated them tightly.

Sai sighed, casting a glance to his old friend. "Please, let me explain. I never got a chance to before."

Their eyes met for the first time and despite his want to hate him with all the anger in his heart, he was able to see the hurt and sadness in Sai's eyes. His grip loosened slightly. "Fine." He answered, letting go completely. "But what you say might not affect how I feel about you."

The raven nodded. "I'm not expecting it to. I just want you to know why I did what I did."

The blonde stepped backward, leaning on the wall once more. He looked to the artist and nodded, telling him he was listening. He may not have wanted to listen at all, but being a good Hokage meant listening to your people, no matter who they are or what they had done.

Before starting, he let out a deep and heavy sigh, remembering what he wanted to say even though it wasn't hard. He'd thought about this every moment since he'd been locked away. "You already know that I was sent to Konoha by Orochimaru to spy on all of you. I never questioned his word, nor did I really care because I didn't know any of you. I had no emotional ties that would hinder my investigation."

Naruto watched every move he made, wanting to make sure the words coming out of his mouth were genuine. He wouldn't risk his village and loved ones falling for his tricks ever again.

"But when I came here," He sighed softly, remembering those wonderful days. "I encountered something that was completely foreign to everything I had ever experienced." He looked up, black eyes locking with blue eyes. "I met you, Naruto."

The blonde gulped once more, thinking the butterflies in his stomach had jet packs. He really did mean that much to Sai, did he? He wanted to look away, to not see that look on his face anymore, but didn't, feeling like it was right to at least listen.

"Despite what everyone had thought about me, especially the Hag," He remembered the rosette well, how she never really trusted him. "you didn't let it get in the way of showing me around and introducing me to everyone." He finally said, eyes shying away. "You cared."

Naruto remembered that day, his mind flashing back to it. Sai had just arrived to the film grounds and just like any other actor who'd come to the grounds, Naruto showed him around and introduced him to everyone. He wanted everyone to be friends, or at least know each other, that way everyone was comfortable being there and maybe even have fun.

But he never accounted that just a small gesture like that could mean so much to the raven.

"I'd never met someone like you, Naruto." Sai continued, unable to look into the blue eyes he loved. "You made sure that I didn't feel left out even when the others didn't want me there. I never had anyone do that for me, ever. I didn't realize my feelings at that point, or even when you started dating the Hyuuga girl," He would have said her name, had he remembered it. "but it soon became clear."

The blonde closed his eyes, already knowing what was going to be said next. They would be the last words Sai had ever spoken to him until this day.

"I love you, Naruto. I always will, even if you don't return those feelings." He wasn't afraid to look him in the eyes, even though they were closed. He always wanted to remember that he was able to tell the blonde how much he meant to him.

A shiver ran through his body, just like it had done those years ago. It was so odd to hear those words again, said with the same passion, the same love. His eyes opened, but remained on the floor, thinking about how badly the situation had ended last time.

Sighing softly, the raven continued, knowing Naruto wouldn't say anything in reply. "I knew, right then and there, that no matter what happened to me, I had to stop Orochimaru. I couldn't let him tear your home or your friends apart. I wouldn't forgive myself if that happened."

Naruto couldn't believe it. Sai spoke with such honesty and loyalty, like he really didn't want that to happen. And he was starting to believe him.

"That's why I did everything I did. Why I kissed you in front of the Hyuuga girl to break you up, so that she wouldn't be targeted. It was my fault that Sakura was kidnapped that day and I did my best to make it right. I didn't get her back for you, but I turned myself in and allowed you to do whatever you wanted with me, whether it was death or a lifelong prison sentence." He explained completely, sorrow, regret, love and hate all expressed in his voice.

Sighing silently, blue eyes looked to the raven, examining his face. He held no smile like he was lying, nor evil glint in his eye.

"I never wanted to hurt you. I did betray you and for that, I'm sorry. I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't done anything when I knew I could. Believe me when I say I won't try anything this time. I know you love the Hyuuga and I won't interfere with that. I want to see you happy." He explained, voice soft and calm. He knew his love wouldn't be returned, but splitting them up wasn't right either. The only thing he could do was help in any way Naruto asked him to.

The Hokage gulped, his eyes still on the floor. He didn't have any proof that Sai was telling the truth. He had nothing other than Sai's word that he wouldn't do anything.

But something made Naruto believe. Whether it was his own want to get Sai's help or that he knew what love made people do, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was a combination of both. The most certain thing in his mind was that he needed Sai and reluctantly decided to take him for his word.

"Sai," He began, voice just as soft as the raven's had been. "I don't have any proof that you're telling me the truth. I know that if I was in your place, I'd hate me with a passion."

The artist wanted to protest his words, feeling that hating Naruto was the impossible. But knowing he was going to continue, remained silent, watching every move he made.

"But I also know what it's like to be in love. I love Hinata with all my heart and nothing will ever change that. That's why I'm going to agree." He looked to the raven, finding him shocked beyond belief. "I will hold you to your words, and should you break them at any time, you will not have the same mercy placed upon you as before, do you understand?" His words were kind, yet, harsh.

For moments, black eyes stared into blue, mouth slightly open. Even with what had happened, the blonde was going to allow him out of this cell? He was going to be with him…at all times?

Blinking back to reality, Sai did something he hadn't done in years. He smiled. "Of course I understand. I'll do everything I can to help." He said, eyes alive with color and happiness. He was going to be with Naruto. He was going to see the world again.

He was going to live again.

Pushing off the wall, the Hokage walked to the bars and kneeled, lowering his height to Sai's. "I really appreciate this Sai. Orochimaru has my Nee…my cousin," He corrected, knowing the raven didn't know the whole story behind the names. "and he's had her for the last few months. I need you to help us locate the bases to get her back." His voice was soft and devoid of emotion, eyes on the ground. "He attacked my dad, which is why I'm Hokage. I don't know if you can help with that, but anything you can do will be enough."

The smile was still on his face, although it had lessened. No one, not even Orochimaru upset the blonde and got away with it. "I'll do whatever I can." He assured the blonde, nodding.

"Thank you." He looked at the raven once more before standing and turning toward the door. But before he walked away, he glanced into the cell. "If you're honest Sai, and we get my dad healed and my cousin back…I'll see what I can do about getting you out of here."

Black eyes stared at the back of the Hokage cloak in shock. It wasn't that Sai was going to lie or betray Naruto, full knowing that when his help was no longer needed, he would go back to his cell.

But to know that maybe…just maybe, he wouldn't have to go back to his cell when this was all over was something he could actually look forward to.

Other than being handcuffed to a beautiful blonde, of course.

* * *

It was almost sundown when Sasuke arrived at the film grounds, hands in his pockets as he looked for the group he usually filmed with.

Despite the fact that they weren't filming, Taka didn't like to hang out anywhere else, finding that everywhere else had fans and a lot less privacy. Other than Sasuke, the three other members stayed somewhat true to their natures on the show.

Jugo was a relatively peaceful guy who enjoyed being outside and watching the nature around him. His temper was very rarely seen, but not unheard of. Suigetsu on the other hand still had his wild temper and would proudly show it. The only time he seemed to be calm like Jugo was when Karin was around.

Karin used to be the very hostile, obsessive and controlling female she was on the show until her fateful encounter with Orochimaru. When she returned to Konoha, she was quiet and reserved more than Jugo was on his quietest days.

It wasn't hard to notice the change and the three teammates did whatever they could to get her back to herself and help her forget what happened, but the only time that seemed to work was when Suigetsu got on the redhead's nerves, making her snap and smack him over the head.

Sasuke felt it right to give the three of them their time, since they'd grown very close after her kidnapping – especially she and Suigetsu, who were, if he had it right, dating.

Wanting to speak with her before dark, Sasuke continued walking at a rather quick pace, knowing where to go. It wasn't hard when Suigetsu and Karin were having their now famous – and in good fun – shouting matches.

"Suigetsu, you jerk!" Karin yelled, the raven able to pick out her strikingly red hair against the greenery.

The shark was grinning his toothy grin at her, waving his sword about like he always did. "You love it, bitch!"

Anyone could see she was trying to hold back her smile and opened her mouth to retort, but stopped. "Sasuke-kun," She began happily, pushing up her glasses and looking over to where the raven would show up. "I didn't think you'd be visiting us so late." Like she cared what time he visited. The raven was so nice to look at, even if she was dating Suigetsu.

He shook his head slightly, walking up to the group. He should have known Karin would have sensed him. "Hey Jugo," He nodded to the silent-nin sitting against a tree trunk, who nodded back, a small smile on his face. "Suigetsu."

"Sasuke." He replied with a small nod, sheathing his sword and smiling at Karin.

The raven also turned his attention on Karin, who folded her arms and looked away as Suigetsu came up to her. "I have my reasons, Karin." He answered, watching as the shark ran his hands through her one side messy, other side clean, hair. "I'd actually like to speak with you alone," He saw the glances from Jugo and Suigetsu. "If you're okay with it."

He understood the glances, knowing that the two were very protective of her ever since they'd become close. It was the same way he and Naruto were protective of Kirei.

On the other hand, Karin didn't seem unnerved. She knew that Sasuke wouldn't try anything stupid like someone else would. He didn't help as much as Suigetsu did, but understood what she went through and how much it hurt as well as he did. "Sure, Sasuke-kun." She nodded, smiling to both Suigetsu and Jugo to reassure them.

Still standing close to her, the shark closed the gap, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. "We won't be far away if you need us." He mumbled into her ear before nibbling on it.

Her face immediately flushed red as she pulled away, smacking him upside the head. "Bastard!" She cried, pushing her glasses up once more.

With a smile, he pulled her close again and kissed her on the forehead. With Jugo, he teleported away, not going far from her should she need them, although they knew Sasuke wouldn't do anything to upset her.

Sighing softly out of nervousness, black eyes never stayed in one spot for too long. He couldn't help but feel that way, knowing all too well that Orochimaru was anything but an easy subject for his friend. "…"

Karin could see this, surprised at his actions. Sasuke wasn't one to be nervous or wait to speak. He always said what was on his mind, no matter the consequences or affects on others. "So…" She began, crossing her arms in annoyance. If he wanted to talk, he better start talking. "You wanted to talk?"

Swallowing his nervousness, he nodded. "Yeah." Black eyes met with her red eyes, voice calm and level like always – with just a hint, a very small hint of anxiety. "Have you heard anything or know what's been going on recently?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. What did that have to do with anything? "I know just as much as anyone else around here. Naruto's the Hokage, Yondaime's injured and that someone was kidnapped by…" Her eyes left his, falling to the ground, left hand coming up to her elbow to rub it nervously. "well, you know who, right?"

He nodded again, remembering that he couldn't say the Snake's name around her. "Yes," He answered her, voice somber. "He did take someone; someone I love….and we need your help getting her back."

Karin laughed nervously. Honestly, all she did was go through a shitload of torture back then. What could she do to help? "_**My**_ help? Sasuke," She dropped the honorific, speaking incredulously. "you know I can't through all of that again."

"I know you can't." Unlike any time before, his voice was filled with sympathy and understanding. "I know it's hard for you, Karin…but we need your help. Please." He begged, eyes never leaving hers. "I can't stand not knowing what Kirei's going through."

Red eyes met his in a flash, hearing the name. "Kirei?" She asked, eyebrow rising as her hand left her elbow. "She must mean a hell of a lot to make someone like you beg, but I can't help you. I can't stand her."

Not many could see it, but the Uchiha's face fell, sadness filling his eyes. "You're really going to let your feelings stop you?" He asked, voice monotonous, eyes narrowed. That never stopped her before.

The redhead scoffed, face turning away from him, arms crossing. "Why should you care? You've never cared for anyone so much as to beg for help, Sasuke." Her words were harsh and cold. "I don't help people unless I care about them, and I most certainly do not care about her." She pushed her glasses up once more. "She's a complete and utter copy of Naruto, who I can't stand in the first place. All she ever does around here is sit there and sketch. She comes here every day like she owns the damn place!" She explained, hands motioning with her words. "She annoys me more than Suigetsu does and even if that Snake bastard has her, I won't help her. She's on her own, just like I was."

The raven stood stark still in shock. He couldn't believe it. He knew that not everyone liked Kirei, but to hate her that much to not help her, when Karin had been in the same situation was downright horrible.

"Look," She continued, sensing the disturbance in Sasuke's chakra that meant he was upset. "I feel bad that she's been kidnapped and going through the same shit I went through, but – "

"Then why won't help?" He cut her off, eyes not leaving hers although hers moved away. "You could spare her all the pain you went through easily, yet you won't."

She took a sigh to calm herself, feeling her body start to shake. "I can't go through that again, Sasuke! Not even to think about it!" She cried, eyes closed tightly.

Knowing her words and emotions, the Uchiha knew only one course of action he could take that would change her mind. It may not work, but he would try anything. "Karin," He began, stepping closer to her. "Please." He begged, voice softer than it had ever been.

A shaky breath left her body, eyes turning to his in shock. He really wasn't…_**begging**_, was he? Was he really so desperate to get her help that the proud Uchiha resorted to begging her? "I'm sorry, I won't." She said, feeling her resolve starting to lessen, arms wrapping around herself.

His eyes stayed with hers, disbelieve and misery strewn within them. "I know it's not easy, but neither is life. I've gone through some nasty shit myself, but I'm learning to deal with it." His words were soft and kind, unlike how she'd thought they'd be. "Karin,"

The redhead watched as Uchiha Sasuke did something she never thought she'd see.

Kneeling before her, the raven bowed his head, closing his eyes tightly. If this didn't work, he didn't know what else to do. "I'm begging you. Please help."

Red eyes closed before they emitted tears, lower lip quivering as she turned her head away once more. Her resolve had broken completely. "Do you really love her that much, to beg for help?" She asked, voice trembling.

Still on his knees, Sasuke nodded, hoping with all his heart that this would work. He couldn't go through another day without knowing what his love was going through. "I love her more than anything."

"Get up, Sasuke." She commanded, keeping her eyes closed, arms close. If he really went as far as begging her to help the girl he loved, even if she did hate her, Karin had no choice.

He did as she spoke, standing and watching her with thankful eyes.

"I can't promise that I'll be able to tell you everything…or help in the least bit. But," She continued, trying to keep her voice somewhat stable, her arms falling to her sides, glasses almost off of her nose. "if you can beg someone to help, than I can at least try." She rolled her lips, biting on them gently when she felt the Uchiha pull her into a hug.

He pulled her into a tight hug, wanting her to know how much this meant to him. "Thank you, Karin." He rubbed her back gently, knowing it was upsetting for her to think about what had happened, let alone telling it to a group of people.

She nodded against his chest, gulping down the lump in her throat. "Just promise me that when this is all over, that bastard will be killed."

Sasuke nodded, eyes hardening for the first time during his visit. "Oh," He began, voice a low growl. "You can count on it."

* * *

Calming night had fallen on the wooden city, allowing the people to rest and recuperate after a long day's work.

But for the group of 12 ninja who had been running the city plus a few new faces – Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo – the day was not yet over.

There was only one thing they had to do, but it depended on the view of each person as to whether it was easy or hard. Because they now had the help of Sai – who was absent due to clearance issues – and Karin, the group could finally come up with a plan to defeat Orochimaru once and for all.

"Before we start," Naruto began, sitting in the middle of the room like he always did. "I think it would be a good idea to involve Akatsuki, since they pretty much hate the Snake too." He was careful to not use Orochimaru's name for Karin's sake, who still seemed slightly shook up as she sat next to Suigetsu.

Agreement was heard around the room. Akatsuki was more experienced than they were when it came to fighting a tough opponent and no one really wanted to face the powerful group of Ninja.

"I'll head up to the grounds and see if their still there," Sakura offered, getting approving nods. "and if they aren't, I'll head over to Itachi's place," She knew better than to think that Sasuke was still living there. "and leave a note or something."

The Hokage nodded. "We'll wait for you to get back to start." He smiled as she vanished, feeling a hand slip into his and a small weight on his shoulder. "I know," He told Hinata, leaning toward her and kissing her forehead. "It's been a long day."

She nodded, allowing her eyes to close as a yawn escaped her mouth. With the small murmur of voices and the comfy pillow she was on, it wouldn't be long before she fell completely asleep.

* * *

As soon as Sakura left the Manor, she had decided to visit Itachi's house first to make sure they weren't hanging out there like they usually were.

It was obvious by the dark and quiet house that no one was home, so she continued on to the Akatsuki film grounds. She, like anyone else, knew that this was the only other place they would go, favoring it over a member's house other than Itachi's. If they weren't here…well, she'd deal with that when it came.

When she did arrive at the Akatsuki grounds, it wasn't as obvious if they were there or not. Most of their nights were spent shooting off fireworks or just playing cards around a campfire. Something that was less likely to be seen from far away.

Sakura soon noticed that something wasn't right. "That's so strange…" She mumbled, trying to sense any of the members.

But she couldn't.

The rosette took her time looking around every part of the grounds, hoping to find some trace of the group. Maybe they were just hiding their chakra or just hiding in general. They couldn't be missing, since it took someone with a lot of power to take down a group as elite as the Akatsuki…yet…it wasn't unheard of.

Blinking to bring her back to reality, Sakura realized that she had checked every part of the grounds, emerald eyes scanning the darkness. "This isn't good…"

She teleported off as quickly as she could, returning to the Manor.

"Sakura?" Ino began as she saw the rosette's face, knowing something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"They're gone." She said incredulously, the room going silent. "Akatsuki's gone."


	16. Niisan

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ First off, I'm sorry this is so late. I was planning to upload it last weekend, but I found myself busy. And, of course, my laptop, where I normally write, has no connection to the internet. Finals are coming up next week, so wish me luck? By the way, for any of you gamers, I've just finished playing Crisis Core and it was AMAZING. One of the Best Games I've ever PLAYED. If you get the chance, play it! Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 16 – Nii-San_

* * *

Sitting on her bed, Kirei stared down at her food tray in disbelief.

Like always, Kabuto had delivered the tray to her room. Like always, there was a small sandwich, a glass of water and an apple sitting in the sectioned parts of the tray.

_**Un**_like always, there was something new, something shiny resting on an empty part. Blue eyes were drawn to it immediately and knew exactly what it was.

Orochimaru had supplied her with a small, handheld razor.

She stared at it for the longest time, reaching around it to her food and drink and frowned at it as she ate. The blonde was already used to the hallucinations that she still suffered quite often, choosing to simply ignore whoever it was calling to her. It hurt to do so, but it hurt more to learn they weren't real.

"This must be another one of his plots…" She mumbled, turning her head away from the blade, eyes looking out the window to the dark clouds outside, frown still on her lips.

Kirei had always figured, after a few weeks of course, that Orochimaru had something to do with the hallucinations, knowing that nothing else could cause it. She missed Sasuke this much when she was with Ramada, but never imagined him calling to her like she did recently. It made no sense to think that something had gone off in her mind all on its own to cause everything that was happening.

Orochimaru _**had**_ to have his hand in it. He had to be the one behind all of her torment and pain and was obviously behind giving her a razor to cut herself with.

Leaving it on the tray was telling her, almost screaming to her that he was behind it and he wanted her to cut herself in an effort to deal with all the pain he caused.

Very slowly, Kirei's blue eyes returned to the sharp instrument and stared at it. The blade didn't seem so sharp now that she looked at it. If it wasn't sharp, than obviously it wouldn't hurt as much.

Tilting her head, the blonde's hand reached out, fingers running across the blunt edge as if they wanted to pick up the razor. Cutting wasn't so bad, was it? Did it really hurt as much as people say it did?

Did it really help make people feel better? She knew quite a few stories about depressed people who used to cut their arms and forearms and somehow, it helped take some of the stress and pain away.

"That would be so nice…" She mumbled, staring at it dreamily as her fingers grasped it, picking it up. For this little thing to rid her of all the pain she felt, all the stress on her mind and body with just a little slice across her arm…

Gasping softly, the blonde shook her head violently, throwing the razor away from her hand. "What I am thinking?!" She cried to herself, closing her eyes tightly and clenching the bed sheets below her. Letting the sheets go, she rubbed her face in an attempt to calm down.

She really had thought about cutting, didn't she? She really thought that making herself bleed and scar was a way out.

But it wasn't.

The only way out of this hell was to be rescued, not to cut to find some relief. How could she even think about relief?! Sasuke and Naruto were going through almost the same things she was, and no matter what, they wouldn't cut, so why would she even think about it?!

She wouldn't ruin herself just to find an escape.

Nostrils flared slightly, eyes still closed, the blonde growled softly, anger coursing through her veins. How could that snake bastard even think she wanted to cut?!

Letting out a snarl, Kirei got up from her seat, walking to where the razor had fallen and stared at it before picking it up. Then, with her blood still boiling, she walked out of her room to visit a certain Sannin.

* * *

The Snake in question was in the grand hall – like he always was when she saw him – sitting happily in front of the large snake head that spewed water into a small pond.

Not that she cared what he was doing or what would happen to her for having an outburst like this, she came within a meter of him, glaring her hardest glare.

Orochimaru already knew she was coming to see him, yellow eyes glancing to the enraged blonde. He played it off. "Why hello, Kirei-chan." He spoke, voice sly as always, smile on his face. "How are you? Are you enjoying your new razor?"

Narrowing her eyes, she threw the blade at his feet, hating how he sat there and smiled at her as if nothing was wrong. "I don't know why you ever thought I'd cut myself," She began, eyes never leaving his despite how much she hated them. "but I will not, no matter what, do that to myself." Her words were harsh and adamant, eyes the same way.

He continued to smile as he got up, picking up the razor as he did so. "Oh, but Kirei-chan," He started, walking closer to her. "haven't you been feeling depressed lately?" He asked as he circled her, eyes watching her reactions. "I gave you this razor to help you feel better."

She watched as he circled her, eyes never waning. "Cutting can't make anyone feel better."

Smile growing, the Sannin corrected her. "Quite the contrary, mouse." Yellow eyes stayed with the blue he hated, seeing the confusion coming into her adamant eyes. "You see, cutting is actually a masochistic way to relieve stress," He grabbed and pulled her wrist toward him, palm up so that her arm was completely exposed, allowing him to hover the razor in his other hand across her skin. "it releases endorphins, which make people feel happy."

For only a moment her eyes wavered before narrowing and glaring at the Sannin. She jerked her hand away from his grip and the razor, stepping back. "I don't care if I'm happy or not." She shook her head. "I am _**not**_ cutting myself."

Reaching for her hand once more, the Snake took it, placing the razor on her palm. "With this, you can finally be happy without your little Uchiha." His words dripped with venom, eyes alive with torment and pain as they looked into her own blue eyes.

The realization didn't take long to hit the blonde, lips parting as her eyes widened. Happy…without Sasuke? Slowly, her hand closed around the razor, able to feel the points pressing against her skin. "No matter how unhappy I am," She began, eyes deflecting to the razor her fingers gripped. "I will never, every cut myself."

Orochimaru's smile vanished as the mouse threw the razor to his feet and ran off to her room. When he had first suggested the razor bit to Kabuto, he had suspected she'd hate the idea but slowly warm up to it and was in disbelief with her reaction. "Looks like Kabuto was right…" He mumbled as he let her go, walking in the opposite direction.

Like she, he also had someone to see.

* * *

Kabuto wasn't far from the Grand Hall, so it did not take Orochimaru long to reach the room he was in, finding that as he entered, he was still working on that damn Rebirth project.

"I thought you finished that before we left the southern base." He hissed, walking up to the medic-nin and crossing his arms. It wasn't very smart of him to lie to the Sannin.

The lavender haired man didn't look away from his work, nodding slightly. "I had almost finished it," He corrected, reaching for another tool on the other table. "and am very close. If I continue to work non-stop like I have, I'll have it finished within the week."

The Snake's arms loosened, his anger dissipating quickly as he watched his assistant work. He had been working furiously ever since they moved to this northern base. "I see." He answered, deciding to do something he hadn't done since Karin had "visited." "The mouse did not accept the razor, as you thought." He began, turning his back and walking over to the small file cabinet next to the wall.

Kabuto smirked, hearing one of the drawers open and the files beginning to move. He figured the girl wouldn't take it, seeing as how she was pretty proud.

"And since you have been devoting so much time and effort to this project, I have decided to take matters into my hands this time." He continued, smirking as he located Karin's file.

The medic-nin sat up, looking over to his boss as he took one of the files and closed the drawer. "Should I suspect anything?" He asked, eyebrows raised. It wasn't every day that Orochimaru decided to deal out punishment, especially with that happy tone of voice.

A smile was set upon the Snake's lips, yellow eyes alive with deviousness. "No," He answered, taking the file, turning away from his subordinate and walking away. "Just continue with your work."

Watching him leave, Kabuto had a feeling that things were going to get quite a lot worse for the blonde. "She should have listened to me when I told her to conform to him…" He mumbled, returning to his work.

He didn't know what was in store, but the Snake did as he examined Karin's old file, knowing exactly the jutsu used to control the girl.

* * *

Like she had promised him the night before, Karin stood in the living room of the unfamiliar Hokage Manor, her hand securely with Suigetsu's, who refused to let her do this on her own. He knew better than most that his redhead had a hard time speaking about her past and would be damned if she had a breakdown and he wasn't there to fix it.

The usual group of Ninja were also in the living room, spread out among the floor and chairs in the room, waiting for their Hokage to appear and this uncomfortable air to disappear.

It wasn't like the group didn't know Karin or Suigetsu, since they did film with each other once in a while, but it felt weird, not knowing them and having them in a place that was only for family like friends.

In the uncomfortable air, no one dared look at the redhead or shark for more than a moment, all of them still wondering what they were doing here in the first place.

"I'm sorry I'm late everyone." Naruto began as he teleported into the room, a poof of smoke appearing beside Hinata. He didn't bother explaining why he was late, surveying the room instead.

Most everyone replied that it wasn't a problem, seeing as how it wasn't late in the day, they didn't have much to do anyway and that they hadn't been waiting long. In all truths, after the meeting had been called, they were curious as to what it was about. It wasn't like they'd gotten more information on Orochimaru, since he'd moved bases…right?

Blue eyes landing on the two newcomers on the other side of the room, away from everyone, Naruto smiled and walked over to the two. "Karin, Suigetsu," He started, hugging Karin gently and sharing a handshake with Suigetsu. "Thank you for coming, both of you. You're help will be invaluable."

Karin nodded, her voice soft as her eyes flickered on the Uchiha in the far corner behind Hinata. "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to help…but I'm at least going to try." It was the near least she could do. After all, Konoha was her home too.

"I don't mean to be rude," Neji began with a monotonous voice, sitting on the couch with his love like always. "and break this up, but what are you two doing here?" His sight shifted from the Hokage to the tracker, to the shark and back to the Hokage.

Naruto stepped beside the redhead, not sure if she wanted to answer or if he should answer for her.

"I heard from a friend about what was going on around here…" She began softly, answering Naruto's question as she looked down first and then to the other Ninja. "and even though I still have problems talking about what happened," Her grip on Suigetsu's hand tightened. "I'm at least going to try to help. No one should have to live what I went through again."

There were a few murmurs and eyes watching the redhead, but no eyes watched her closer than Sakura's.

She had never liked the redhead all that much, always having a feeling that she was trying to steal Sasuke – her then boyfriend – from her, but hearing her statement, had some newfound respect for her. She wouldn't come to like her, but to offer help to people she barely knew, especially when it was the root of your problems wasn't something easily done.

"I don't know what I can do to help," Suigetsu said, not afraid to look the others in the eyes. "but I'll do what I can while keeping an eye on her." He looked to his redhead and smiled, gripping her hand back.

"Whatever you can do, we're thankful for." Naruto said, nodding to both of them with a small smile. "But guys," He turned to the rest of the group, his friends. "They aren't our only help. I've asked someone else for their help, too."

Ino looked to her blonde friend, like everyone else did, not knowing who else they could get help from. "Who is that?" She asked, tilting her head as everyone looked on.

Knowing the outburst that was coming, the Interim Hokage closed his eyes, preparing himself with a soft sigh. "I've asked Sai for his help."

Within an instant of hearing his name, Kiba was on his feet, outraged. "Naruto," He growled. "How can you even think of asking for _**his**_ help?!"

Others agreed with him. "After what he did to all of us?!" Sakura added, not jumping out of her seat but equally angered.

Everyone remembered well what the raven haired artist had done to them those three years ago, the pain and hurt still within their hearts. With the remembrance, it didn't take long for arguing to commence.

Walking into the center of the room, Naruto kept his eyes closed, trying to calm everyone. "Guys, guys!" He yelled, gaining their attention within minutes. "I know what he did to us in the past. Trust me, I know. But none of us, not one," He looked to everyone in the room, save for Sasuke, Shikamaru, Karin and Suigetsu, who all knew he was right to have with them. "can deny that he has extensive knowledge about Orochimaru that we need right now."

Silence engulfed the room, the arguers watching and listen to their Hokage intently.

He sighed once more. "Someone once told me that to solve a problem, you need to set aside your feelings, past or present, and think about what is best to do, even if you don't like it." He was met with softened looks. "And right now, the best thing to solve this problem is Sai, whether we like it or not."

Sitting on the seat next to Neji and Raiha, head rolled back like always, Shikamaru smiled. It was taking some time and convincing on his part, but slowly, Naruto was shaping up to be the Hokage he was meant to be. "Well, I can't argue with that reasoning," Since it was his own reasoning, after all. "And if you're alright with it…so am I."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the others began to agree, much to Naruto's enjoyment. He knew it wouldn't be easy – hell, he had to be handcuffed to Sai the entire time – but it seemed that all they needed was a little convincing.

Sitting beside the newly calmed Inuzuka, Shino knitted his eyebrows slightly. "So if we're acquiring his help," He began, gaining attention. "why is he not here?"

Walking over to his Hyuuga before answering, Naruto slipped his hand into hers, knowing her silence meant that she wasn't too sure on the subject of having Sai around. "I've already put in forms for his temporary release," He massaged her hand gently, continuing to assure her. "but they haven't cleared them yet, so for now it's just us." Before going on, he stepped closer to his love, nuzzling her hair and whispering in her ear. "Speaking of which, you and I need to talk later."

She shot a worried glance when he pulled away, but found his reassuring eyes and smile on his face. "Okay, Naruto." She said, letting out a small sigh. If he was assuring her like this, it couldn't be anything horrible, could it?

"Well, if he's not going to be here…" Tenten began, sitting on the armrest next to Sakura, eyes looking to Karin. "Could we ask you to maybe explain what's going on with Kirei?" She didn't want to force the redhead, but after seeing how badly Naruto's cousin looked, she was curious – like most others – to know what happened to her.

Kiba nodded in agreement. "Yeah…" He continued her statement. "We saw her a few weeks ago…and we don't know who the hell's telling the truth."

Nervously, red eyes shot to her boyfriend's for assurance. When he nodded, hand gripping hers again, she sighed softly. "Sure…" She started, voice soft. "Can someone explain how she was acting? What she looked like, even?" She asked. "There were a lot of things that went on…so for me to explain, I need to know what happened."

Before anyone spoke, glances and flickers were exchanged – mainly them looking at Sasuke – wondering if maybe, since he was her boyfriend that he wanted to explain.

Closing his eyes to better picture her even though he never wanted to see her like that again, Sasuke leaned against the corner wall, arms crossing. "She acted like a mouse does." He stated. "She was quiet and wary of all of us, like she was afraid. Her eyes shifted constantly to everyone, as if we were going to jump out and attack her, but always came back to me."

Karin watched him with understanding eyes, already knowing what the blonde was going through.

"It was like she was really afraid of me…like I'd hurt her or deceived her in some way. She looked beaten…" He continued, unusual emotion in his voice. "like she'd been beaten every day she was there."

Nodding, the redhead was sure of what the Namikaze was going through. "Did she tell you that you weren't real?"

Sasuke's head snapped up in a heartbeat, eyes wide as they stared into Karin's. "…yeah." He mumbled, gaze shifting to the floor.

Running a calming hand through her hair, the redhead sighed softly. "She's under the influence of drugs, then." She said, speaking to the whole room. "Hallucinogens, to be exact."

Sakura ruffled her eyebrows. "But…her pupils weren't dilated…she didn't exhibit any of the signs – "

Karin held her hand up, stopping the rosette. "I know what I'm talking about. Trust me. That Snake's had more than enough practice creating drugs that no one could ever detect." She wasn't snapping, but her voice had a certain assurance to it that made others not question her words. "He'll put the drugs into her food and within a certain amount of time, she'll begin to see and hear the person that she most misses."

Sasuke watched with more intensity than anyone, hoping that her explanation would help him deal with everything going on in his mind. He couldn't stand to think that he really was the one who caused her all this pain anymore.

"In my case, it was Suigetsu," She pushed her glasses up, eyes shifting to her boyfriend. "And when I saw him, he'd call out my name and tell me that he was going to take me home." She continued, trying her best not to look anyone in the eye and focus. "I would run over to him…and fall right through him. That's probably why…" She tried to remember the name. "Kirei looked as if she were beaten."

"So…wait…" Hinata interjected, slightly confused. "Kirei's beating herself?"

Karin half nodded. "Yes...but it's because of the drugs he gives. He'll have Kabuto beat her first, when the prisoner arrives to find out if she'll break to his will." She explained, remembering it all too well for her to like. "When she doesn't, he'll try to find ways to break her…usually the drugs are first."

"So I didn't have anything to do with her being hurt?" Sasuke asked with a soft voice, remembering how the Snake had told him it was his fault.

Shaking her head, she offered a small smile. "No…You have nothing to do with it. She only said you weren't real because she's so used to seeing you and then you being…well…not real. She's probably scared to be hurt again." She answered, seeing a huge sigh of relief leave the Uchiha.

"Okay…so Kirei's not obeying him…" Ino began, closing her eyes to make sure she worded it right. "And the first thing he does is the drugs, right?"

"Yes." The redhead nodded.

"Than what comes next?" Pale blue eyes looked to red, all others looking as well. They hadn't thought about that just yet.

Red eyes looked down, to the floor to focus once again. "The razors." She answered, feeling Suigetsu's hand massage hers to keep her calm. "He…wants to see prisoners in pain…so he'll give them a razor, once a week…to make them cut."

"Nee-chan wouldn't do that." Naruto shook his head, voice adamant. "She's smarter than that."

Some weren't totally convinced, their eyes shooting to him. "Are you sure?" Tenten asked, not wanting to disagree with him, but wanting to make sure.

"Yes." The Uchiha answered for him, voice just as adamant. "Kirei's not stupid enough to do that, even if I asked her to." His black eyes looked to everyone, telling them that they shouldn't pursue the subject.

"A-after that…" Her red eyes continued to look at the floor, slightly shifting back and forth. "He…" She clearly remembered what came next, her mind flooding with all the memories that she didn't want. "He…"

The shark beside her could see the breakdown she was beginning to have and before she had the chance to continue, pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. He knew she couldn't tell them the rest, but he could, at least, what he knew. "If your girl continues to resist after the razors...that Snake," He avoided the name, knowing it would only upset her more. "will look into her past and try to find a person, usually mom or dad, who had a lot of control over her. He'll only look for the dead, though."

"Dead?" Sakura asked, her eyebrows knitted tightly. "Why a dead person? It's not like he can bring them back to life."

Rubbing Karin's back as she sobbed softly, he remained silent, eyes shifting to the floor.

At his silence, her and the other's face turned to shock. "You don't mean…he can raise the dead?" She asked incredulously.

He sighed, still rubbing his love's back gently. "Do you all remember, way back to the Chunin Exams in the show, the jutsu he used to "bring back" the First and Second Hokage?" He asked, eyes scanning the group.

"You mean the Summoning: Impure World Resurrection Jutsu?" Shikamaru asked, picking his head up and raising an eyebrow at the shark. As far as he knew, that Jutsu was fake; something created for the show.

He nodded, holding Karin tighter as she sobbed a little louder. "Yes," He nodded, thankful that someone remembered the name he'd forgotten. "that one. Cause, see…he perfected it. He made it _**real**_."

Shivers went through some spines, the shark's words heavy with seriousness and sadness.

"Right now," He continued, voice very somber. "He can bring anyone he wants back to life and control them. He can do whatever he pleases with them, no matter if they like it or not."

Taking in a shaky breath, Karin pulled away from her boyfriend's arms slightly, few tears rolling down her cheeks. "…He brought back m-my mother," She tried her best to speak with a cracking voice, eyes closed tightly. "to beat and humiliate me…so that whenever I looked at her…I'd always remember what she did…I can't..." Her breathing began to quicken. "I can't look at her anymore…"

Everyone watched with saddened eyes as Karin retreated back into Suigetsu's arms, her sobs loud and heavy.

Holding her even tighter, her love continued to rub her back, whispering sweet words into her ear to try to calm her. He then looked up. "It's horrible, what he does. He screws with the pristine image of the person who meant the most to them so that they can't love them any longer."

Sasuke and Naruto, more than anyone else, listened to his words, afraid of what he was going to say next, hearts pounding in their chests.

He looked to the blonde and then the raven, eyes and voice as serious as ever. "Your girl doesn't have anyone like that, does she?"

Other than Karin, all eyes panned to the two, full knowing that she did.

Sharing an alarmed and worried glance, Naruto and Sasuke knew now, more than ever, they had to get Kirei back no matter what it took.

* * *

Thunder crashed and rain fell, the harsh patter of the rain hitting against the rock and steel of the window in Kirei's room, striking fear into her heart and driving her to the farthest corner.

She had never thought in all of her time being in the Northern base that it would thunderstorm, but the crashes that sounded through her hand-covered ears and the flashes that pierced her closed eyes proved her wrong. It had always been assumed by the blonde that being so far north in the colder months of the year meant that it would just snow, which she was perfectly okay with, but the rain she was not okay with.

Ever since that day of playtime and the hospital time afterword, her heart beat as if it were on fire, breaths quick and fleeting, like she were having a panic attack. She couldn't help that she became scared. She couldn't conquer her fear.

Body tense and stiff, she jumped slightly as thunder cracked through the sky, heart quickening its pace and shivers running through her body.

Not alone, she couldn't overcome the rain. At one time, so long ago, she had Sasuke to help her through it. He would always send her downstairs, to where she couldn't see the water drops and listen to music so she couldn't hear it. When she could see and hear it, he would sit right next to her and hold her hand, never uttering a word when she dug her nails into his skin, always reminding her that she wasn't alone.

He was there to help her through it.

But right now she was alone, pressing her hands closer to her ears in some effort to block out the sound that made her body shake. Her raven wasn't there to help her through it. No one was. It was just her, scared and alone in the corner of her room, praying that the storm would end soon.

Thankfully, something soon drew her attention away from the storm, something that was unfamiliar to her ears. It was closer to her than the storm was, making her eyes open only a sliver and her heart to become wary.

There was a knock at her door.

Immediately Kirei knew that whoever was beyond her door was neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto. Neither one had ever knocked at her door, always entering when they pleased. It had to be someone new, but as far as she knew…no one else in the base was allowed to enter her room.

Watching the door with slivered eyes, she took a small sigh, trying her best to make her voice as hard as she could in her scared state. "What do you want?" She growled, hearing the knob turn and click.

"I know you're scared of rain and all, Nee-chan," The taller blonde began with a soft voice as he opened the door and walked into the room, hoping the nickname he'd given her as a child would help her remember who he was.

Kirei needed no reminder, hands dropping from her ears at the voice, eyes wide with shock. She knew that voice better than her own name.

Picking up her head, her breath became caught in her chest, deep blue eyes meeting those pale blue-gray eyes she'd never forgotten. She couldn't forget his eyes, mouth dropping open in shock as shivers ran through her body.

"But I thought you'd be happy to see me."


	17. Sorry

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Ironically, I'm very sorry this chapter is so late. I meant to upload on Chirstmas, or even the day after, but it seems work and the holidays caught up with me and prohibited me from doing so. I hope everyone, no matter the way you celebrate it, had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday. I have had a lot of ideas for new stories coming into my mind, but I am very determined to finish this story before doing so. I have been working on the 24th chapter (second to last!) and should finish it soon. Look for another update soon! Enjoy the chapter, as always! :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 17 - Sorry_

* * *

Sighing a rather soft and heavy sigh, Daisuke stood outside his younger sister's room, staring at the door with an odd look.

He couldn't say that he was happy to be here, in the living world. His soul had been dragged from the afterlife, his bones had been dug up from his resting place and his body was made of dirt.

No, he certainly wasn't happy to be here.

But he couldn't say he was sad to be living either. He definitely didn't like what he was brought back for, but he was not sad that he was living, breathing, seeing again. It gave him the chance to see what he'd never seen; his little sister, the tiny blonde who had been dependant on him since her birth, all grown up.

Feeling that she was still sleeping this early morning, the older blonde entered her room quietly, not wanting to disturb her just yet. Waking her meant doing the thing he was brought back to do, the thing he did not want to do.

As he closed the door softly, his pale blue eyes found her form, sleeping in the same position he'd always remembered. Her hands were close to her face, body half curled up, blanket pulled all the way up to her shoulder to keep her warm. "Even after all these years, Nee-chan," He whispered, walking closer to her. "you haven't changed…" He couldn't say she hadn't changed, yet some things really hadn't changed.

She still retained the same gold hair on his head and those deep blue eyes that entranced him no matter how many times he'd seen them, and yet…everything had changed. She was much taller than she used to be, her hair had grown so long to where it was nearly past her butt, her hips now showed against her small waist, along with tiny amounts of muscle he could point out on her arms.

He had always known growing up that Kirei would become a beautiful girl like their mother, but being able to see it now, with his own eyes, made him rather happy and sad. Happy that she was blessed enough to be alive after all that had happened between them and sad at what was _**going**_ to happen.

Daisuke hated the thought that he was here for such a cruel reason, that he was under someone else's control…but yet, it was a reason to be here. It was a reason to see his lovely Nee-chan again. It was a reason, a sick reason, for him to be happy.

Despite her soft sleep and ever alert ears, Kirei did not hear her brother until he was beside her, his soft sigh awakening her. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she blinked them until they focused, allowing her to see him again, a large and happy smile forming on her lips. "Morning, Nii-san." Happiness was pure in her voice as she sat up, allowing her brother to sit beside her.

"Good morning, Nee-chan." He answered, returning her smile, although his had traces of sadness in it. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, sitting beside her and touching her smooth skin, running his fingers through her hair.

Daisuke's smile broadened slightly. She felt no different than she did those years ago.

Feeling her heartbeat quicken slightly, she laced her arms around her brother's chest, nuzzling against him. "Kinda." She answered, taking a deep breath to remember how he smelt. "I never get good sleep…but last night was okay."

He petted her hair with one hand, the other brushing her bangs from her face like he used to do. "I'm happy to hear that." The older blonde burrowed his face into her hair, taking a deep breath like she had done.

"You don't sound happy, Nii-san." Kirei spoke, looking up to stare into those pale blue eyes she missed. "I haven't forgotten how you sounded…even after all these years. I haven't forgotten anything."

Another deep sigh left Daisuke's lips, hands moving to her waist and pulling her onto his lap as he buried his face into her neck. He couldn't believe, even through all these years, even without a reason as to why he was here, she was still devoted to him like she always had been. "I love you, Nee-chan." He gulped and pulled away from her neck. "Which is why I have to ask you something."

She nodded, sensing his seriousness in an instant, smile small on her face. "Of course, Nii-san." She said, staring him dead in the eye. "Ask me anything."

He smiled at her willingness, pushing some hair behind her ear. "I wasn't brought back from the dead for the reasons you might think, Kirei." His eyes flickered away from time to time, but were always drawn back to hers. "I was brought back to do bad things. To do wrong things. I don't like it, but I don't have a choice. I just…I need to know that whatever happens from now on, you, Nee-chan, won't ever think bad of me or hate me." He couldn't stand going back to the afterlife or living with knowing that his world hated him.

She brought her hands to his face, drawing his sight into her eyes, smile never wavering. Leaning close, she kissed his cheek, hugging him tightly afterward. "I could never, ever hate my Nii-san, no matter what he does to me." Her words were soft and devoted, almost as if she knew. "I love my Daisuke."

Closing his eyes with pain, he wrapped his arms tight around her waist, kissing the nape of her neck. "I love my Kirei." He told her, hating what he was about to do.

But he had no choice.

With a heavy heart, the blonde loosened his grip, allowing his hands to move in order to pick her up, eyes avoiding her unquestioning gaze.

Kirei knew his silence was his way of regret, holding onto his neck as he took her from her room. It was odd, the relationship between them; how they were so affectionate after all these years, but yet, it was justified because all they had had was each other. Because they had no other, they were particularly close, to where they could sense the other's emotions and place no doubt within their hearts.

She could see where her brother was taking her, knowing the base better than most thought, but she didn't care. The bond between her and her brother was stronger than this. Stronger than anything Orochimaru could throw at them and both knew it.

When he entered the dungeon, Daisuke set his sister down on the floor, taking each one of her hands and chaining her wrists although he knew he didn't have to. Even if he was beating her, she wouldn't run from him.

Before standing, he squared his eyes with hers, knowing that look in her eye. The look of trust and love, like any time he'd seen before. He only wished that his eyes were filled with the same instead of this regret, this sadness.

With a small smile, he kissed her forehead before standing and cracking the back of his hand across her cheek.

* * *

His nerves completely on end, Sasuke walked rather frantically down the road, heart beating at an electrifying pace. Black eyes were just as frantic as his heart and legs, constantly shifting their gaze to avoid the many people who looked at him when he bumped into them.

It's not that he meant to bump into them or make them angered, he just wasn't feeling right at all. Ever since they'd gotten the double whammy that Daisuke was soon to make an appearance in Kirei's life – especially since she was so close to finally letting him go – and the fact that his only other family was nowhere to be found, he'd had incessant thoughts and sleepless nights, making him a little more unstable than usual.

Plus, the raven had had all the trouble in the world trying to think about something – anything – to get his mind off of the worry he had for his Princess's soon to be pain and whatever his brother was going through.

To be frank, he was sick of it. He was sick and tired of always having these problems, how he worried too much about every little thing and had no control over his damn emotions!

But he finally decided, early this morning while everyone else was sleeping that he would do something about it. He was going to do something he'd never admit to anyone, and hopefully, they'd never find out.

Recognizing where he was, the Uchiha took a very deep sigh, throwing open the wooden door of his therapist's office, not caring if there was someone else there. Sasuke wanted Yamato to realize that he had come to his office all on his own, without someone pushing him, and wanted to see him before he changed his mind on wanting to see the brunette.

Jumping at the sudden crash of the door opening, the brunette sitting at his desk looked to the doorway, shocked to see Sasuke standing there, looking back at him. But after a moment of surveying the raven, seeing the dark circles under his eyes, how his hair was frazzled when it was usually combed down and the wrinkled clothes he wore, Yamato understood.

He turned to his female patient, who gawked in awe at the flustered Uchiha, her mouth agape. "Kanno," He began softly, marking down the time. "Would you mind returning sometime tomorrow? I'm sorry for the interruption – "

Smiling softly as she looked over to him, she dried her eyes and put a hand up, stopping him. "I understand," She nodded, able to tell that the raven needed more help than she did right now. "I'll call later with a time to reschedule." With another smile, she stood and walked toward the door, past the Uchiha and out of the room. She was even kind enough to shut the door behind her, knowing that look in the raven's black eyes. The look that she had a long, long time ago.

"I'm-I'm sorry for the outburst," Sasuke began, eyes still shifting from place to place as he walked into the room, falling onto the couch. "I didn't think you would have a patient, but I need – I need someone to talk to."

Yamato narrowed his eyes, further examining the raven. "How much sleep have you been getting?" He asked, already able to tell he'd gone a few days without sleep.

"Not much." He confirmed, knee twitching slightly. "It's just…I've got so much on my mind that I can't sleep and I want to stop worrying and thinking constantly."

It wasn't hard to see that Sasuke was upset. Very upset. If he willingly came here, admitted that he wasn't sleeping and that he was worried, it meant that this was something Yamato had to deal with right now. "Alright, Sasuke," He said, getting up and walking from behind his desk to the couch, sitting beside his patient."Tell me what's on your mind."

The raven shook his head, trying to think about what to say first before running a hand through his hair and leaning forward, setting his elbows on his knees. "My brother's missing, along with his friends. We have no clue how long they've been gone, if they've been kidnapped or hurt or where they are. They just…disappeared." He spoke with a certain franticness that was unlike him.

In all the times they'd talked, the brunette had never, ever seen Sasuke this emotional and watched him a little more closely. He wanted to make sure this was just the raven being upset rather than being mentally ill.

"We also just found out that Kirei's dead brother is coming back from the grave to torture and mutilate her – "

"Wait, what?" Yamato interrupted quickly, barely catching the statement at how fast Sasuke had spoken it. "Her dead brother – "

Sasuke sighed softly, preparing to explain. "Orochimaru perfected a jutsu to allow him to bring people back from the dead and in order to get some control over Kirei," He kept his sight away from his therapist, choosing to look at anything else in the room instead. "and he's going to use Daisuke, Kirei's brother, to beat and torture her so that she can't ever look at him again."

The brunette nodded, understanding his statement although bringing back the dead was a far stretch of the imagination. "I'm assuming Kirei and Daisuke were very connected when he was alive?"

"You know how connected I am to Kirei." The raven stated, eyes glancing over to him, hands incessantly moving around and playing with each other out of nervousness. When he saw dark eyes watching him and nodding, he continued. "Imagine that multiplied by 100." He did not stutter, nor did his eyes glance away; he was completely serious.

Yamato's eyes widened slightly, realizing the extent of Sasuke's words. He had heard little about the older brother of Sasuke's beloved blonde and knew little more about how Kirei was getting over him. It would not be good in any way to have him return when she was finally learning to let him go.

"You wouldn't believe how close they were, Yamato…" His eyes flickered to the floor, reciting what he knew from what she herself had told him. "He was her absolute world. Everything in her life revolved around him since they were together nearly all the time. She'd do anything for him, even if it meant hurting her. So long as he was happy, she was too."

The brunette listened quietly, recognizing some similarities between her and her brother and he and her. Sasuke would do near anything for Kirei, so long as she was happy, like she would do for her brother – from what he'd just learned.

"And then…one day, he was just _**gone**_. She lost everything that she held dear to her when he died. But these past few years…she was finally starting to get over that. She was finally starting to learn that maybe it was okay to not think about him all the time." He explained further, running another hand through his hair to stay calm. "And with him coming back…I can't imagine what's going through her mind and it's killing me to not be there to help her."

Sighing softly, the older male ran his hand over his face, rubbing it to think. "Sasuke, you can't think you're useless." He said, already knowing the Uchiha was getting to that point.

"But I am!" He raged, hands balling into fists. "Compared to anyone else, what am I doing?" He raged further, black eyes staring directly into his therapists' eyes. "Sakura and Tsunade are doing their best to heal the Yondaime, Hinata and Shikamaru keep Naruto sane enough to do all the Hokage business and now Sai's helping us find out where Orochimaru's bases are." He explained, voice shaky with anger. "Even Karin's helping us out! But what am I doing? Nothing! I'm going to therapy because I've got problems that I can't deal with on my own to help out!"

As Sasuke tried to control his breathing to retain some form of calm, Yamato let his words sink in, eyes closing to think.

He felt, that because he wasn't able to help directly and that he was getting therapy, he was useless to everyone around him. To be honest, he probably was. Like many other ninja, there really wasn't a lot he could do to help other than sit and wait for news to come.

But doing just that, sitting and doing nothing and feeling that way was driving him crazy. That along with the worry of his brother missing and his love about to have her world turned upside down was more than enough to send him over the edge.

"Sasuke," He started, voice soft as he set a hand on his shoulder to help calm him down. "I understand that you feel useless. Right now, that's completely understandable because you're not used to being the one who's getting help. Your friends understand that you're not exactly able to do much right know, but they know you'll be there when they need you." He explained, leaning down to try to catch his sight.

Sasuke did not look at him, keeping his sight on the floor. He didn't want Yamato to justify that he could feel helpless. He wanted to know how he could _**not**_ feel the way he did.

"Plus…when Kirei returns," Yamato took clear note of how his eyes shifted toward him at her name. "she's probably going to need a lot more than just a reassuring hug. She's going to need someone with her all the time, helping her through everything." He leaned forward even more. "That person is you, Sasuke. You're going to be the only person she's able to listen to. When something reminds her of what happened, you're going to be the only one who can tell her it's okay and she'll believe you."

Sasuke's anger had since left his body, eyes glancing up once more to examine equally black eyes before returning to the floor to think about his words. He could believe it for the most part…but couldn't Naruto do the same thing?

Yamato knew he had to make it very clear for the emotionally upset Uchiha or else he wouldn't get it right way, gripping his shoulder to make him look over. He spoke with a soft seriousness. "No one else is going to be able to help her like you can, Sasuke. You may not realize it, but she needs you just as much as you need her."

* * *

"You may come in now." The Snake spoke from beyond the door, his tone slightly aggravated.

Hearing this, Daisuke did as he was told, entering the room without hesitation. "You called, Orochimaru?" The blonde asked as she shut the door behind him, easily spotting the Snake sitting in the chair in the rather plain room.

Yellow eyes scanned the former Namikaze rather thoroughly, his body language telling Daisuke he was rather upset. "How long have you been alive?" He asked quickly, preferring not to use the name of his subordinate. In his eyes, he didn't deserve it just yet.

Pale blue eyes shifted away from the Sannin in thought. He had the slightest idea about what this was all about, but decided it was safer if he went along with whatever the Snake had planned. "About a month." He replied calmly, bringing his eyes back to yellow eyes.

How Orochimaru hated having former Ninja in his command. They always seemed to have a quick answer and remained calm no matter what, thanks to their previous training. "I will get straight to the point." He began, not wanting to further anger himself by leading the blonde along. "I was generous enough to bring you back to life and allow you to see your beloved little sister once more."

Daisuke's face remained emotionless, not wanting to give the Snake any hit of his true emotion, although he let out an inaudible sigh through his nose. He knew this was about Kirei.

"And all you had to do in return was just one thing. One tiny little thing that shouldn't matter, since you haven't seen her since your death." He continued, voice slowly growing angered with every word. "You simply had to beat her 4 or 5 times a week, an easy feat for a ninja. But you," He paused, yellow eyes glaring at the blonde, voice taking an angered tone. "haven't done anywhere near that amount."

"Of course not." The former interrupted, keeping his voice level. "She is my younger sister; how can I even think to beat her as much as you want me to?"

Snake eyes narrowed dangerously. "You obviously don't understand. I brought you back to life for that purpose and that purpose _**only**_. And if you dare disobey me further…" With a small spike in his chakra, Orochimaru activated the controlling seal placed within the dirt body Daisuke's soul inhibited, making him double over in pain.

He held his right forearm with all the force he had, face contorted in pain as the limb shot horrible waves of pain into the rest of his body. "Wh-What did you…" He hissed in pain, blurry eyes focused on the limb.

He watched in complete horror as what was his hand disintegrated right before his eyes, dirt falling to the floor.

"There will be severe consequences." Orochimaru finished, smiling a wicked smile. How nice it was to see fear and pain struck into the former Namikaze's face, his forearm slowly crumbling into a nice pile of dirt on the floor. "Always remember that as easily as I gave you life, I can take it away and I will not hesitate to." His words were pure venom, charka spiking once more to return the blonde's limb.

As the pile of dirt on the floor rose to the once disintegrated limb, returning it to its previous form, the pain slowly began to recede, allowing Daisuke to stand once more and look the Snake in the eye.

"Plus," Orochimaru continued, his voice turning sly. "isn't it so nice to see your lovely Kirei-chan again after all these years? Especially after what happened between you two? Take this chance, even if you have to beat her, because it will be the only chance you ever get to see her again."

Daisuke's pale eyes never wavered, although he knew Orochimaru was right. He didn't want to admit it, but he was right. When would he ever get a chance like this again, to make up for the past?

Getting up from his seat, the Sannin walked over to the blonde, ushering him to the door and opening it for the two. "Isn't it better to be alive and love her once more, even if you are beating her?" He whispered into Daisuke's ear, smile wide and poisonous like a snake.

Eyes wide, the blonde's head whipped toward the Sannin in disbelief. "Wha – " He began, voice disappearing when he found no one beside him.

Orochimaru had vanished.

Letting out a soft sigh, his pale eyes slowly descended to the floor in thought as his feet began to move, taking him back to his room.

Despite not letting him answer, he knew the Snake was right. It was better that he remained alive and enjoyed his time with Kirei, but there was no way he could ever beat her more. It was already heartbreaking to beat her just a couple times a week, he able to see the pain and hurt in her eyes despite how she assured him she still loved him, but to increase that to 4 or 5 times a week? He couldn't do it. He wouldn't.

Continuing at a slower pace, Daisuke raised his restored hand, examining the limb as it moved, fingers turning close to the palm, then moving away.

It was an odd feeling to his bones, since they hadn't been used in such a long time. Now that he thought about it, it was nice to be alive again.

But…was all of this really worth living?

"Nii-san?" Kirei asked happily, noticing her brother in an instant despite one of her eyes swollen over, preventing her from seeing well. "What are you doing out?" She asked with a smile, not realizing she'd startled him.

He learned long ago to hide his startles from her, turning his head to the left and seeing his Nee-chan down the hall, leaning on the corner. "I should ask you the same thing," He replied, hurriedly walking down the attaching hall to meet with her. "seeing as how you can't even walk right."

It was true. From their last beating session, she'd received a horrible blow to her upper thigh, rendering the leg sore and nearly immobile. Her right eye was also nearly out of commission, swelling causing the eye to shut and blind her. Like always, she had miscellaneous cuts, bumps and bruises, but those were things she could handle. "I'm fine, Nii-san." She tried to assure him, visible eye drooping low out of tiredness.

She opened her mouth to further assure him, but Daisuke stopped her, setting a finger on her lips. Nothing she had to say would convince him otherwise since he knew her actions as well as she did. "No, you're not." He told her softly, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to take you back to your room."

She should have known, smirking playfully at him as he released her lips. Of course he could see through her words. "Fine, Nii-san…" She said, trying to keep a straight face.

Instead of having her try to move from her leaning spot, he moved for her, kneeling in front of her and allowing her to fall onto him, being extra careful around her thighs as he stood. "You okay, Nee-chan?" He asked as she slipped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Yeah…" She replied dreamily, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "But I still love you, Nii-San." She said quite loud, making sure that he heard it. "I know you don't have a choice right now, but I can take it…so long as it's you, Nii-san." Before lying her head back down, she kissed his shoulder, trying to reassure him further.

Pale eyes glanced back to her, finding hers watching him, waiting for a reply. They quickly returned to the hallway in front of them. "You need your rest, Nee-chan." He completely avoided her statement, not wanting to talk or think about that right now. He just wanted to make sure his Nee-chan was okay.

She could immediately tell from his softer tone, shy away and avoidance that he did not want to speak about that right now, so she let it go, lying her head back on his shoulder. It didn't much matter anyway.

So long as she was with him, everything would be okay.

* * *

Kirei was already half asleep by the time Daisuke arrived at her room, able to open the door by letting go of her injured leg to relieve some of the pain for his Nee-chan.

From her silence and deep breathing, he assumed she was completely asleep, not expecting her to remain sitting after he set her down. "Still awake, huh, Nee-chan?" He asked, running both hands through her hair and lying her down on the rather dull bed.

"Mmhmm…" She mumbled, nodding and smiling at his touches.

Chuckling, he shook his head at her, lying her head on the pillow before picking up her legs and situating them on the bed and under the covers. "You sleep well, okay?" He asked, tucking her in and kissing her cheek.

Before he had a chance to move away from her, Kirei pushed the covers away, reaching out and gripping her Nii-san's shirt. "Stay…please?" She asked, voice soft, one eye looking up into his. She didn't need to explain, but she did anyway. "I've missed you a lot, Nii-san…and it's hard to sleep without you…I won't sleep unless you're here…"

He knew he shouldn't. He knew that he shouldn't do anything more with her than beat her for her and his own safety.

But how in the world could he deny that face? That voice? How could he really deny his younger sister who he hadn't seen for nearly four years?

Sitting down on the bed beside her, he nodded, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Okay, Nee-chan." He knew that it would come back to bite him and bite him hard, but all he cared about was her and right now, she was missing him.

Smiling, she allowed her eye to close happily, scooting to the wall side of the bed, giving the both of them enough room. Once he crawled in beside her, covers and all, she snuggled closer like she did when she was little, nuzzling into his chest and smiling when she felt his arms wrap around her back and massage her shoulders.

He smiled at her natural reaction to their close proximity, even after all these years and pretended, just for her, to sleep. Only being a soul in a dirt body, he didn't need to sleep or eat, but just to appease her and make sure she got the rest she needed, he pretended to sleep, allowing his eyes to close as he set his head on hers.

Kirei sighed softly in content for the first time in the half year she'd been in Orochimaru's base, feeling safe and protected in her brother's arms that – in her half asleep state – reminded her of another's arms that made her feel the same way.

Noticing her rather odd sigh, snuggle and her hands gripping onto his shirt rather tightly, he opened his eyes, looking down to see exactly what she was doing. In all their years together, she had never grabbed his shirt like she did now.

She was almost completely asleep now, her hands loosening ever so slightly as she continued to nuzzle into his chest. "…I love you, Sasuke..."

Daisuke blinked in shock.

Who was Sasuke? He faintly remembered the name, but not who had told him the name or anything about it. Obviously enough, whoever he was, he was important to Kirei. Important enough for her to mistake her own brother for him and to tell him that she loves him, which wasn't easy for her. It had to be hard to tell anyone she loved them after what he'd done to her.

With a soft sigh, he returned his head to hers, kissing the crown of her head gently.

He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't sit by and watch his Nee-chan, his Kirei, hurt anymore. He couldn't be the one hurting her anymore. Sure, he wanted to stay alive…to watch her grow…to love her…but in the end, all he was doing was hurting her even more by staying alive.

She loved someone else now, despite how much it hurt to know he wasn't the center of her world anymore. But how could he be? He was dead.

Closing his eyes and clenching her shoulders gently, Daisuke came to grip that because of his love, because of how much he loved his little sister, his only little sister, he had to let her go, once and for all. "I love you so much, Kirei…"

* * *

Leaning on the glass door of the Hokage office that lead to the balcony, Hinata had her arms crossed, hair draped over her shoulders and down her back, a frown placed upon her lips.

She wasn't the only one in the room, although the others weren't frowning like she. Shikamaru and Sasuke were seated – well, Sasuke was barely sitting due to his nerves – in the chairs opposite of the desk, while the newly arrived Sai and the blonde she kind of hated right now stood behind the desk.

In her eyes, she had every right to be upset with her boyfriend, who stood only feet from her, his eyes avoiding her angered gaze, knowing she was thoroughly upset with him.

He could understand because, for the whole week that it took for Sai to be cleared, he'd completely forgotten to tell her one tiny – but probably meaningful – detail about his "freedom".

"So now that you're here…." He began, looking over to the newly freed raven. "What do you need?"

Sai looked first to the sitting brunette, who had his head rolled over the back of chair, which if Sai remembered, he'd always done and to the other raven, who stared back at him with an unnerving gaze. "Well…If I could have a slightly detailed map of Oto…I could then point out the bases easily." His eyes deflected from Sasuke, going to the blonde for more comfort. He didn't really care what the Nara thought about him, but the look in Sasuke's eyes sent shivers down his spine.

"I – Well, my dad – "Naruto corrected, eyes glancing down to the desk. "has one of those somewhere around here." Turning slightly away from Sai to check the drawers on the right hand side of the desk, Naruto's left hand jerked back toward the raven.

What the blonde had neglected to tell Hinata?

He and Sai would be handcuffed together for the entirety of Sai's freedom.

And Hinata was not, in the least bit, happy about it.

"It's right here." She said, reaching to the desk on her left and grabbed the piece of paper. She waited until he looked at her, so he would understand her anger, to give him the map.

His look was apologetic and sad, gaze lingering with hers for a few moments before taking the map and lying it on the desk. "Thank you, Hon." He replied softly, knowing he'd done wrong. It wasn't like he meant to not tell her, but he'd simply just forgotten. His mind had been chaos since the news of his dead cousin returning and the purpose of his return, not to mention the fact that Sasuke was going crazy just sitting here.

It was a lot for his mind to handle, all of that and his daily Hokage duties.

Watching silently, Shikamaru pulled his head up and stood up, making his way closer to the desk as Sasuke did to see what Sai was going to do. She let out a soft sigh, seeing that saddened look on her blonde's face. It was really, honestly hard to be angry with him, knowing how much went through Naruto's mind every day, but was it so much that he'd completely forgotten about their relationship?

Turning her head away to look outside from the corner of her eye as they looked through the map, she knew that wasn't it. After vacation, Naruto wouldn't forget her. Dealing with everything that had to do with Hokage, keeping the city and people calm and afloat, worrying about his father and Sasuke, acting for the tv show and new film, and everything going on with his cousin was a lot. Putting a relationship on top of all of that was a lot to ask of her blonde.

"…there's at least 6 bases he could be in right now, not counting the one you've told me." Sai concluded after gazing at the map and listening to his comrades. He took one of the markers upon the desk and made 6 different circles on it, all of them spread far from the other.

"How can we be sure you're right?" Sasuke asked, distrust in his voice. Shikamaru, Naruto and Hinata may have known him, but he certainly didn't. He wasn't risking his Princess's and his own sanity on someone he'd never met. "It's been…what, three years since you've been under his control, right?"

The brunette beside him looked at the map, examining its new markings. "It has been three years, Sasuke…" He answered, remembering back to when Sai had arrived. "But, there are some things you never forget."

Sai nodded in agreement, thankful that someone defended him. "I have never in all my days of confinement forgotten where they are, Sasuke." He tried to assure the raven, keeping his eyes square with equally black eyes. "Every day I reminded myself where they were and how to get in so that if ever I was to be let free or escape, I could find the Snake and kill him myself."

Sasuke's eyes never left his, but he nodded his head. There was no absence of resolve in Sai's voice, convincing the raven. "Then what base do you think he's in now?" He asked, glancing down at the map.

Naruto, Shikamaru and Sai's eyes followed as well, watching as the raven's free hand reached up and looked over the map.

Finally, he pointed at the circle closest to Shikamaru. "The North Base." He answered firmly, allowing his eyes to glance with the other three and Hinata.

"You're sure?" Naruto asked, hearing the conviction in the artist's voice, but this was his cousin coming back from the dead. They had to be absolutely sure.

He nodded. "There's a few reasons I believe that." He began, moving his finger down to another, unmarked base. "This base was the one you've already been to and it is Orochimaru's favorite because it's the perfect temperature for snakes to live in. After that is the North base because it's the most defensive base." He explained further. "It's located far in the north mountains of Oto and is nearly impossible to find unless you've been there. Its defenses are nearly impenetrable."

Oh, that sounded like fun. "But we've got you so it'll be easy." Shikamaru said, shoving his hands into his pockets, eyes closed. "Right?" One eye opened, looking at the raven.

Sai chuckled, nodding. "Yes. If I lead the way, we can be there within a day and a half."

Before anyone could blink or state that they should round up everyone downstairs, Sasuke had already left the room, door shutting behind him as he jumped down the stairs.

His actions hadn't fazed Naruto, Shikamaru and Hinata, but Sai watched the door shut, wondering why the Uchiha was acting this way. As far as he'd heard and known about the Uchiha's, they were never ones to rush or be impatient.

"He's more worried than I am, Sai." The blonde explained, tugging on the handcuffs to get the artist's attention. "You see, he and my captive cousin have been dating for…" His voice faded, trying to remember how long it'd been.

"About two years, Hun." Hinata substituted, smiling. "They're very connected and in love."

Black eyes stared at her. Sasuke was in love? Uchiha Sasuke? "I'll do my best to get us there quickly, then." He said, somewhat understand the other raven's position.

Outstretching his free hand, the blonde smiled a tired smile. "Thank you, Sai. This really means a lot."

Sai's met his, shaking it and smiling back. "I know, but I should be thanking you. I haven't – "

"I don't mean to interrupt," Shikamaru began, both eyes open and watching the two. "But we really should get going."

"Yes," Hinata agreed, pushing off the glass doors and walking over to the desk. "the sooner we leave, the sooner we get there."

Without words, Shikamaru left the room, the connected Sai and Naruto following suit, Hinata right with her boyfriend.

Knowing that she was just a little calmer now, the Hokage slipped his hand into hers as they walked down the stairs and into the busy room, gripping it gently. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Hina…It slipped – "

Her smile silenced him as she used her free hand and brushed his bangs away, reaching up and kissing his forehead. "I know. And although I'm still a little mad,"

Standing on the last steps, the three looked into the living room to see almost everyone standing with cloaks and packs, ready to go. They looked to their Hokage with determination and willingness, prepared to face whatever they had to.

"I know there's a lot on your mind. And I still love you."

* * *

A slight shiver ran through the battered blonde's body as the cold winter wind blew in from her window, she unable to move from her spot.

She didn't much care about being cold, since it really didn't bother her. Sure, it hurt the open wounds on her body, but it wasn't raining. There was nothing on this earth worse than rain.

The Namikaze let out a soft sigh, knowing she could probably escape some of the cold by getting onto her bed, since it was off the floor, but knew she shouldn't try it. Her legs had become so pain-ridden, so battered that she was barely able to stand, let alone get into bed.

So there she sat, against the wall below her window, legs pulled close to keep her just a little bit warmer. Maybe if Sasuke was here…

Another sigh left Kirei's mouth, this one much deeper and a little sadder. When she found out that her Nii-san had returned, she was absolutely thrilled. Mentally, she was on cloud nine, having never lost that love for him. Although...there was something…missing.

There wasn't a doubt that she loved him. She loved her brother _**so**_ much. But it wasn't enough to replace the love she had for Sasuke. It wasn't enough to make her forget her love for her raven.

Before she had the chance to think about how much she missed him, how much her love for him could never be enough, like it used to be, there was a knock at her door. It opened moments after, Daisuke walking inside and closing the door behind him.

He knew why she was on the floor the moment he saw her, wanting to pick her up and move her to her bed, yet knew that that would cause her more pain. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Nee-chan?" He asked, sitting across from her.

She smiled back, always happy to see him, no matter what would happen. "I can't sleep, Nii-san, you know that."

Reaching a hand out, he set it upon her head and tousled her hair, making her smile even more and even chuckle a little bit. "I know," He nodded, smiling too. "I'm just so used to seeing you in bed and asleep when I visit you." He added, seeing a slightly confused look meeting his.

Her brows were furrowed, able to see his hand moving away even though she kept her eyes straight with his. "You visit me, Nii-san?" She had never once, even when she wasn't sleeping, heard him come into her room at all.

Sighing, he moved closer to his sister, pale blue eyes tearing away from hers for a few moments before returning. "You don't know how happy I am to have had this chance to see you, all grown up and beautiful, Nee-chan."

Her blue eyes widened slightly, not used to hearing such a serious tone in his voice. "Nii-san…?" She asked softly, heartbeat increasing as she began to wonder where this was going.

Daisuke disregarded her concern, quickly changing the subject so that she wouldn't catch on. "Tell me about that necklace you wear, Nee-chan." He commandingly asked, having seen the fan like charm before and knowing it, but not remembering anything about it.

She blinked, smile returning. "It's Sasuke's."

"Sasuke?" He asked back, furrowing his brow. That was the same name she'd said weeks ago in her sleep.

She nodded her head. "Mmhmm. Uchiha Sasuke." Her voice was filled with sweetness as she said his name, hands reaching up and playing with the necklace. "He's my boyfriend."

Uchiha. Uchiha…Sasuke. Somehow, in Daisuke's mind, the name was even more familiar than before, but something was off. "Isn't there another Uchiha?" He asked, knowing he knew one of them.

She nodded again, fingers playing with the charm. "Yep, his brother, Itachi."

That was it. Uchiha Itachi. He'd been on a few missions with the raven before, mind starting to remember him and the clan itself. They were prestigious, somewhat famous, rich and – in his mind – a little cursed, due to the death of almost all the members.

Sighing softly, Kirei looked down to the fan charm, remembering what it meant to her. "I really love him, Nii-san…" She mumbled softly, not knowing how her brother would take it. For so long, for almost all of her life, she'd loved him and only him, and now, she didn't love him any less, but had someone else to love. "I know he's going to come and save me."

"I know you love him, Kirei." He told her, feeling a little jealous that someone had taken his spot in her life, but how couldn't he? The blonde was dead. "You said so in your sleep." He noticed that shocked look, that heartbreaking look in her eyes. "But I'm not upset. I can't be. I wasn't there to love you back or for you to love. I'm happy, so happy that you found someone that could take my place."

"No one can take your place, Nii-san!" Kirei quickly corrected him, sitting up and leaning toward him, heartbeat increasing even more and eyes starting to well up. "No one in the world can ever take my Nii-san's spot! Ever!" She cried, doing her best to make him understand. "I love Sasuke, Nii-san, I do. But there's always a spot saved for my Nii-san, my Daisuke. No one can take that away, not even you."

Not caring if it hurt her or not, the elder blonde quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her directly onto his lap and holding her tight. She had no clue, had no idea what all of her words, actions and tears were doing to him, but he'd always remember it. He'd always remember this time he had with her.

Letting her go, he put her back in her previous spot, not wanting to let her go, nor wanting to have her with him. "I love you," He said with all the conviction he had, letting his hands run through her hair once and then come back to her jaw, holding it as he kissed her forehead. "so much, Nee-chan. Always remember that, okay, Kirei?"

She looked up to him, hearing that strange tone again. "O-of course, Nii-san." She answered hesitantly, scared as to what that tone, his actions and her own mind was telling her.

Knowing that he shouldn't do this in front of her again, yet also knowing that if he did this anywhere else, he'd be stopped, Daisuke reached into his back pocket and pulled out a hidden Kunai.

Even in this dark, Kirei could see the shine of the weapon, immediately recognizing it and looking up to her Nii-san with large eyes, heart beating wildly in her chest. "N-Nii-san?" Her eyes darted from the Kunai knife to his own pale blue eyes that avoided hers.

"Kirei-nee-chan," He spoke her full nickname, voice cracking as he started to break in front of her. "I have always and will always love you for who you are. I'm so happy to have been able to be here, even if it was for just a few months." The hand with the Kunai shook, his other hand reaching out to hers, holding it tightly as his eyes welled up.

The younger blonde stared in horror, hoping to God he wasn't going to do what she was thinking. She couldn't lose him again; not after just getting him back. "Daisuke, what are you – "

"Don't ask." He quickly stopped her, closing his eyes and kissing her on the forehead once more. "I'm so sorry." He finally broke, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. "For what I did to you when you were young, for what I've been doing. I'm so sorry for everything, Kirei. I just can't do this anymore."

She would never realize that tears were also falling from her eyes, now knowing what he was going to do.

Never letting go of her hand, his eyes remained closed as he brought the Kunai closer to his neck. "I love you, Kirei."

Deep blue eyes remained on his, able to see those pale blue eyes she'd always loved, the ones she'd never forget, opening and staring back at her with all the love still trapped within his heart.

"I'm so sorry."


	18. Blood

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ There's not much to say here. I have finished the 24th chapter and will soon be starting the 25th and last chapter of Fvf and The Actors series as a whole, but it will be some time before you see it :D There's a lot to explain and write...plus, school starts back up in a week. I'm also finally going for my liscense, so please, wish me luck! I hope you enjoy the chapter, because it's certainly one my favorites!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 18 – Blood_

* * *

Like the horrid rain that she feared, a mix of blood and tears slipped down Kirei's cheeks, plopping onto the ground in a slow and soft manner. Each drop made the distinct sound of pitter-patter, creating ripples when they met with the pool of blood gathering below the two blondes.

But for the first time in a very long time, Kirei wasn't scared of the similar sound of rainfall.

Right now, she couldn't even feel.

She may be living, breathing, her heart beating in her chest, but her thoughts and eyes were dead, mirroring the eyes of her beloved brother. With him gone and dead, there was nothing more left for her. All she was now and all she would remain was nothing.

She wanted nothing to do with the outside world anymore, just wanting to stay right there, holding his cold growing hand, staring into those eyes that portrayed all the emotions she knew he once had. Sadness and pain, regret and anguish, happiness and love; she could see it all in those pale blue depths she loved.

Forever would she remain here, looking into those eyes that kept her in her trance that blocked out the world, even blocking her from the shattering sound of his fallen Kunai. She had to make him understand, dead or not, how much he meant to her.

How much she'd forgotten he meant to her.

So here she would stay, holding his hand and staring into those eyes, feeling nothing, doing nothing and seeing nothing. She would become nothing for him.

Despite her resolve to stay, something happened. The blood that had been slowly escaping the wound on Daisuke's neck took a much different form; the form of dirt. It continued to fall from the wound, the rest of his body following somewhat slow, starting from his legs.

Few seconds passed before the rest of his body followed, he returning to what he really was; a soulless pile of dirt.

The moment his eyes broke from hers, she was free from her trance, his gaze no longer there to hold her to the spot and to him. Her delicate eyes blinked few times in shock, looking down at what was her brother in confusion and hurt, breathing starting to become quick and panicked.

"…need to get out of he – " Beyond her door for only a moment was Orochimaru's muffled voice, the slamming of her door being opened following and making his voice clear.

Now alive to the world around her, teary blue eyes looked up to the Sannin, the dirt of what used to be Daisuke's hand falling from her own.

Yellow eyes saw the dirt immediately and narrowed, completely disregarding the blonde's state. How dare that Namikaze go and kill himself, leaving him with no way to control the mouse! Anger bubbling in his veins, Orochimaru wondered for a split second on how he didn't sense it, but quickly remembered why.

Those Konoha brats had found and infiltrated the base, all thanks to the damn traitor Sai!

"Get up." He hissed angrily, walking over to the blood drenched Namikaze and through the pile of dirt. He grabbed her wrist, wrenching her to her feet as she continued to cry. "We have no time for this."

Nearly falling back to the floor because of her legs, she sobbed out of sadness and pain, not wanting to leave her brother. If it hadn't been for the death grip on her arm, she would have fallen right back to the rock floor.

He dragged her across the room, feeling some resistance that wasn't from her legs. When he looked back to her, he glared, seeing her eyes still fixed upon the dirt, breath quickening to a near hyperventilating state. "Shut up," He commanded, yanking her completely out of the room. "And stop that revolting noise."

With pain she tore her eyes away, closing them tightly and continuing to cry as she silenced herself. She didn't want to look away from him, but knew it was for the best to follow the Sannin, trying her best to keep up with his fast pace.

"…good for nothing brat…" The Snake mumbled under his breath, doing his best to pull along the deadweight behind him. It wasn't as if she weighed all that much anymore, but it still wasn't easy for him.

They took a left out of her room and picked up the pace down the hall, nearly running as they met the corner, the blonde's legs starting to bleed, matching the blood that soaked her clothes and face.

"Come on guys!" Another voice called out from the hallway parallel to the one the Sannin and Namikaze ran down. "Her scent's getting stronger! She's not too far now!" It was quickly growing louder, meaning the owner was getting closer.

Knowing the Konoha brats couldn't see Kirei or his life was over, Orochimaru picked up the pace even more, jerking the blonde around the corner quickly. On top of all that had happened, that would be just what he needed; them seeing her and her seeing them.

Even though she hadn't regained all of her feelings, or her care…Kirei knew that voice. She recognized it rather well. It was Kiba's voice.

Without words, the blonde let her body follow the Snake, her head turning toward the voice, eyes blank and yet hoping to see her friends.

Just like her world only moments before, her hope crashed and burn, eyes only able to see the rock wall that hid her from view.

* * *

It surely hadn't been easy finding her scent. With so many different smells clashing together in his nose, Kirei's scent was difficult to find, even for him.

There were a lot of stronger scents, poisons, body odors and many other nasty smelling scents, but just there…to his right…there was a faint whiff of flowers.

Kiba knew better to think that they were just plain flowers, already having his ex-girlfriend's scent memorized in his brain. After all, it was one of the reasons he fell for her in the first place; that lovely scent of lunar flowers that drove him crazy.

"This way!" He pointed toward the hall where her scent was strong and bolted off, glancing back before he got too far ahead. When he found Naruto, Sai and Sasuke on his heels, he returned his eyes and focus to the hall in front of him.

The brunette, like everyone else but Sai, had no clue where he was going, but he was pretty damn sure it was right because slowly, her scent grew stronger and stronger.

"Come on, guys!" He called, not allowing his eyes to look away as they turned right into another hallway. "Her scent's getting stronger! She's not too far now!" Without realizing it, Kiba's heart was beating a mile a minute, knowing he was the only person who could find her quickly and because of this, he sped up, leaving Naruto, Sai and Sasuke in his wake, trying to keep up with him.

Seeing that the turn was coming up, the Inuzuka skidded into the right turn, sprinting on all fours to balance himself until pushing back to his legs, heart racing. Her scent was so close…she only had to be a few feet from here, not even that!

He stopped on a dime at the fourth door in, eyes staring wide in shock even before he looked into the open room.

There was another scent here, masked in Kirei's aroma.

The very distinct smell of blood was lurking in the blonde's and there was a _**lot**_ of it.

Kiba had no idea if it was hers, unable to distinguish people's blood and with a very heavy heart, turned to the room. His eyes went wide, face draining of all color. "Oh god…"

Naruto, Sai and Sasuke rounded the corner with a little more control than Kiba, but they didn't know how bad it was. When they saw the brunette, standing there shocked and white as a ghost, both Namikaze and Uchiha felt their hearts drop deep into their chests'.

Seeing Kiba like that was not a good sign.

"Kiba, what's – " Naruto's voice feel horribly short, blue eyes going as wide as the brunette's when he landed on his left and glanced into the room. They never returned to the Inuzuka.

Sasuke's eyes never even saw the dog-lover, his face palest of the three, black eyes wide.

There was _**so much**_ blood.

All four knew what that amount of blood meant and meant well; someone was dead.

"Sh-she's…" Kiba began breathlessly, not knowing what else to think. There was nothing to think – Kirei's was the only scent here. "dead."

The blonde shook his head slightly, stumbling into the room, dragging Sai along with him. "N-no…she's not." He denied with a shaky voice, even though he knew he was kidding himself.

There was no way anyone, not even him, could survive without this much blood.

For what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke didn't move an inch. He didn't breathe. He didn't blink. He simply stared at the crimson stains, mind knowing it had to be Kirei's. Daisuke was simply a body of dirt; he didn't bleed. She did.

Finally blinking, he began to tremble, breaths coming in quick and deep gasps as his heart beat frantically in his chest. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't. There was no way – she just couldn't be –

Sakura was so thankful that she'd been able to follow the quartet, arriving just as the Uchiha began stumbling backward and finally collapsed at the exact moment she reached her arms out to catch him. "It's all right," She immediately began to calm him down, knowing he was suffering a panic attack. "Sasuke, it'll be all right."

"But there's so much blood." Kiba stated with a monotonous voice, eyes still locked on the splatter in the room.

Sitting behind the raven, allowing him to rest against her, she peered over his shoulder and into the room. Her face fell, now know what they already knew; someone had died. "It doesn't mean she's dead." She said, reaching around the raven's waist and grabbing his hands to comfort him.

"She's dead?!" Hinata cried, panicked as she met with the small group, quickly looking into the room.

Sakura sighed softly, closing her eyes, doing her best to calm Sasuke and explain. "Maybe, maybe not." She answered, green eyes looking up into clear. "I'll explain later, but I think you need to calm Naruto down."

Taking a small deep breath, the Hyuuga caught the urgency in Sakura's voice and nodded, giving a small smile to her and Kiba before heading inside the room.

"Sasuke, it might not be Kirei's blood…she could be alive." She began softly, speaking close to his ear. "I mean, there's a chance it might be….but we have to take a sample and test it first." She kept her words simple, knowing his mind was on overdrive. "She could be alive."

Inside the room, Naruto had returned to complete silence, staring at what was probably left of his Nee-chan. He couldn't explain, nor did he even think about where her body would be, or the dirt that lay on the ground, his mind too befuddled with the fact that she really could be dead this time.

"Naruto."

Drawing his blank eyes away from it at her soft voice, he looked to his Hyuuga and without words, walked up to her, wrapping his arms tight around her waist and burrowing his face into her shoulder.

She didn't need words to know how he was feeling. It was obvious even before she saw him, letting her hands rub his back and caress his hair, she gently kissing his forehead.

Shifting rather uncomfortably, Sai looked away from the embrace, not wanting to impede on a tender moment like this. He also didn't want to get jealous. He waited for a few minutes, hoping the two would separate, but when they didn't, he just decided to speak. "Naruto, I'm sorry…." He began, eyes drawn to the shine of the Kunai still on the floor. "If I had been quicker, this wouldn't've happened."

Gripping his love slightly before releasing her, Naruto sighed softly, avoiding the crimson stains. "You don't need to apologize." He started, looking directly at the raven. "It's….better this way." He gulped before explaining, not wanting to say these words at all. "Whether or not Kirei is dead…we're even more pissed than before. This just adds more fuel to the fire; more rage to take out on the Snake with."

He looked to everyone; Sai, Hinata, Kiba, Sakura and Sasuke, each sharing a moment's look with him.

"We _**will**_ find him. And we will show no mercy."

* * *

She was no longer crying.

Kirei was _**screaming**_.

"Strap her down, now, Kabuto." Orochimaru commanded over her screams, holding the girl down as she thrashed about, staining the steel table with her blood.

The medic obeyed immediately, leaving his syringes and running to the table, pulling out the strong leather straps from below it. He needed no command to strap her down on the tightest fastener they had.

Kirei continued to cry, scream and thrash as he did so, doing it out of natural reaction. Never in her life had she ever felt this kind of pain, this pain that made her want to drive everyone away from her body and leave her well alone.

The Snake continued to hold her down until the last strap was securely fastened, watching as she still struggled under their force. He figured that she had no clue as to what they were doing, screaming and fighting more because she was in pain, the expression plain on her face. But they weren't doing this just to calm her. No, that was horribly wrong.

With how close they'd come to being found, especially with her so badly injured, both Orochimaru and Kabuto knew that sometime within the next few months, they'd be six feet under; they had no doubt to that.

So now, while they had this chance, they had to implement the Rebirth Project. With it, the Sannin's legacy was sure to survive and one day, hopefully soon, Konoha would become his.

Taking a step back to watch the blonde as she still fought, still lost blood, he wondered why she continued to struggle. He didn't think she'd continue to fight with everything that had happened during the night. "Knock her out." He said with a monotonous voice, knowing it was for the best.

Kabuto understood, reaching for a syringe with a clear liquid in it. Everything would go along smoother if she were calm and still. "Of course." He complied, setting a hand down on her shoulder and forcing it to the cold steel. With one strap over her chest holding her arm down, his hand holding her shoulder, he set the tip against her skin, piercing it and allowing the anesthesia to flood her bloodstream.

It didn't take long, his yellow eyes watching every movement of the mouse, amazed at how within a few seconds, her limbs lowered, releasing the tensions on the straps. Her voice softened until she was silent, eyes remained closed as her head rolled to the side slightly, her breaths even and deep."How long will she be out?" He asked, looking to his assistant.

The silver haired had his back turned to the two, looking at which of the 5 syringes he wanted to use first. "A few hours." He replied, picking up the one on the farthest left. "I have more anesthetics should I need it."

The Sannin nodded, continuing to watch as Kabuto turned toward the girl, his lavender eyes examining her. "She will have no memory of this, correct?"

Maybe her arm…No, he'd already injected something there…Ah yes, the thigh would do for the first injection. He looked up, half hearing the question. "She shouldn't, sir. She was in too much pain to even realize where she was, let alone what was going on." He stated, pulling a hole in her jeans a little upward to reach unscathed skin.

"Good." He answered, crossing his arm and watching with a non caring gaze. "Because my future rests on her never knowing about this until it's too late."

Kabuto held the material back as he inserted the syringe into her flesh, a wicked smile on his face. "By the time she realizes," He pushed down on the plunger, red liquid disappearing into the blonde's flesh. "You'll already be in control."

* * *

"Naruto, please," Sai begged the blonde beside him, watching with worried eyes as he stood over the Hokage desk, looking at the map with tired eyes. "you've got to get some rest."

The Interim Hokage shook his head, hands flat on each side of the map, holding him up. "We've been over this, Sai." He said, exhaustion plain in his voice as he let his eyes close and remain closed. "I'm – "

The raven also closed his eyes, more out of annoyance than anything. "I know," He interrupted, leaning on the desk and crossing his arms. "you're not resting until we find Orochimaru."

Naruto could hear the aggravation in Sai's voice. He knew the artist was mad at him for staying awake these past few days, but he really didn't care. Finding that Snake bastard and killing him in the most painful and slow way possible was more important than sleep. He could rest when this was over. "Right." He nodded, opening tired blue eyes to look at the map that now had two bases crossed out.

The raven beside him let out a frustrated sigh, keeping his eyes closed. Yes, he was aggravated. He was angry. But not all of it was directed at the blonde. He was madder at himself than anything, only because of how long it took them to get to the base. How those mere seconds prevented Naruto from getting his cousin back, killing the Sannin and getting a cure for his father. If only he had told them sooner, if only they had traveled faster…if only. There was nothing that could be done now…but Sai swore to himself, the next time…he'd be quicker. He'd make sure Naruto was happy.

When that next time came, they had to be prepared. They _**had**_ to be well rested and know who they were going up against, and surely Naruto knew the Sannin, but was anything but rested.

Few days had passed since their infiltration and not one of those days did Naruto sleep. He hid it from everyone else – with the possible exception of the Hyuuga girl…who seemed to know otherwise – although Sai knew better. He knew the blonde would lie down to convince the others, but really, he'd turn his back to them and look at a map or some file they'd found on Orochimaru.

It was really starting to get on his nerves. Naruto need to take better care of himself instead of wearing down to nearly nothing. But he was so damn stubborn…

Breaking both Sai from his thoughts and anger and Naruto from his focus on the map, the sound of a crack filled the room and smoke enveloped a long awaited Kunoichi with an answer.

"Sakura!" The blonde's lips broke into a smile, feeling a little more energy return to his tired body and mind.

When the smoke cleared, the rosette was there, her eyes just as tired as the Hokage's, hair messy and muddled like her clothes. "Yeah," She nodded, letting her eyes close. "I've got the blood results."

Pushing off the desk, Sai turned around to face her, careful not to pull on the chain between him and the tired blonde, not wanting to pull him over. "So whose is it?" He asked, having a sinking feeling that it would really be Naruto's cousin, no matter how he wanted it not to be.

Looking away from both boys, Sakura hesitated, hand clenching the paper with the results. Her eyes darted away from them, looking to the floor as she rolled her lips. "Umm….actually…" She started, voice very soft. "I kind of wanted to tell Sasuke first…" She quickly looked up, to Naruto, meeting his eyes. "It's not that you don't deserve to know, but I think he needs to hear it before anyone else."

It took a moment to register in his mind, but when it did, the Uzumaki's smile grew. "I'll tell everyone to gather in the living room in 10 minutes…you go ahead and tell him, Sakura." He nodded to her, agreeing with her want. It had really hit him hard to see all that blood in the room, Kiba confirming it was Kirei's room, but it had to be devastating to the Uchiha.

Green eyes softening, a smile spread across the rosette's lips, her hand relaxing. "Thanks, Naruto." She said, voice regaining some volume as she turned away from the two and left the room, going to find the raven.

Almost instantly after Naruto's answer, black eyes darted to blue, eyebrows ruffled in confusion. He didn't look away, but waited for the door to click shut before asking his question. "I thought you wanted to know whose blood it was." He stated. "Why did you let her tell Sasuke first?"

Letting out a tired sigh, the blonde kept his hands firmly on the desk since they were really the only thing holding him up right now and looked over to the raven, smile still on his face. "Because he's my best friend." He answered softly, eyes slowly drawn back to the map below him. "I love Kirei. She's like my little sister…but to Sasuke…she's a lot more than that. She's…she's irreplaceable to Sasuke. You've seen how lost he is without her, haven't you?" He looked back over to the artist.

From what little he knew about the Uchiha before he met him, he did seem like a person who was very quick, smart and clever. However, these past few weeks with him…it was rather obvious that Sasuke wasn't himself in the least bit. "Yes…" He answered hesitantly. "I did notice that something was amiss with him."

Naruto nodded. "Because he's scared. He's so worried about her right now…especially after we learned she was being beaten, then learning that her brother would be back…" One hand left the desk to rub his face and run through his hair to keep him awake. "That with his brother being gone and now the thought of her being dead…it's a lot on him right now."

Sai listened quietly, watching the blonde with calm eyes.

"We all deserve to know who it was that died at Orochimaru's hands to honor them for their sacrifice." The Interim Hokage continued, bringing his head up, looking out the large window to the fading sun. "However, Sasuke doesn't deserve to know, Sai."

Once again, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Wasn't that the point? That Sasuke deserved to know more than anyone else?

Naruto's smile never left his tired face as he tore his vision away, knowing his friend was confused. "He needs to know."

* * *

It took some time to actually find Sasuke, only because he wasn't exactly around and Sakura was a little nervous. After everything that had been placed on her friend, all the stress and torment, nothing seemed to cheer him up anymore. Not even picking on Naruto, which always seemed to put him in a good mood.

Sure, the news was good…but how would he react? Would a smile, even a small one break out on his face? Would he not like it?

She couldn't imagine that he wouldn't like it, eyes landing on the Uchiha as he leaned on the door of Kirei's old room before she even recognized it was him. There was always that chance though, that small chance he would hate the news and spiral further into depression.

When she finally met up with him, instead of walking past like many did and how he wanted her to, she turned to face him. "Hey, Sasuke." She began softly, green eyes wanting to meet with his.

"Yes, Sakura?" He asked, getting straight to the point. He always hated the banter before conversations anymore. The shorter the conversation lasted, the sooner he could go back to thinking about what he could do, if anything.

She sighed softly, quite used to his get to the point attitude and lowered her eyes to the floor. "Well…in about 10 minutes, Naruto's going to call everyone down to the living room for a meeting."

The raven heard her words and knew that this was going somewhere, but he was more focused on the paper in her hands, eyes narrowing at first to see what was on it. It wasn't what he thought it was…was it?

"He's calling all of us down to tell us whose blood was in the room at Orochimaru's." She looked up to him again, watching as his eyes darted from the paper to hers and back to the paper. A small smile came to her face, seeing life immediately come back into his eyes. "But before I tell everyone…we both thought that you should know first."

Mouth dropping open slightly in shock, his hands fell from their crossed position as he pushed himself off the wall, his eyes meeting hers, wanting to search them for any truth in her statement. She really wasn't going to let him read it first, was she? "S…Sakura…" He began slowly, looking away from her to find something to say. "…I…uh…"

The rosette chuckled softly, unable to believe that Sasuke was really speechless. "It's okay, Sasuke." She told him, smile wide on her face. "You deserve to know who it was before anyone else."

He was silent for a few more moments, heart beating a little faster in his chest while his stomach did somersaults. After nearly a week of waiting, wondering, going mad over not knowing who's blood it was…who was dead…he was going to find out. "…Thank you." He mumbled quietly, nerves starting to get the best of him.

Smile diminishing slightly, Sakura nodded, holding the paper out for him to take. "You're welcome, Sasuke."

His eyes saw the paper, mind telling his hands to reach out and grab it, but they were glued to his sides. He was just so nervous about all of this…about learning who really died at Orochimaru's. It seemed a little clear that it wasn't Kirei because of how Sakura was being…but maybe that was because she didn't want to tip him off. Or maybe because she didn't want to hurt him. Maybe –

Closing his eyes, Sasuke took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose. He was thinking way too much about this. It was just a piece of paper, his mind reminded him.

His heart told him that with that piece of paper lied his entire future.

Watching him, seeing how apprehensive he was, Sakura held back her urge to chuckle – knowing this meant a lot to him – but finding that shocked look on his face rather cute. It made her not mind waiting for him, seeing as how she got to see that cute face just a little bit longer.

Sasuke's mind now screaming at his hands to move, they finally did, both jerking upward to grasp the paper and take it from his teammate's hands, bringing it closer to his face. "…" He sighed softly, skipping all of the extraneous words on the page and going right to the chart. "7 alleles?" He mumbled softly, eyebrows creasing in confusion. What the hell did that mean?

"When I took the sample from Orochimaru's, I knew we'd need something to compare it to…so I came here and grabbed a few hairs from Kirei's old brush…" Sakura began to explain, figuring the Uchiha wouldn't understand it right away.

Before looking up to her, to hear her explain, black eyes scanned the rest of the paper, hoping it would come outright and say it wasn't hers. It didn't.

"You see, Sasuke…when they do DNA comparisons…we compare two sets of DNA, one on a known source and one on an unknown. If they are the same strand of DNA…there will be 13 alleles in common….otherwise a perfect match." She continued, trying to keep all the terms simple enough for his overloaded mind to understand.

"But it's not 13." He immediately said, eyes wide as they looked into hers, realizing what that meant. "It's not…" Black eyes diverted away, mouth dropping open. "It's not Kirei's."

She was alive.

Her smile grew, seeing relief flood the Uchiha's being. "Exactly… see…when there're 7 alleles in common…It's a close relative." Sighing, the rosette tore her eyes away, hands motioning with her words. "But there wasn't a person in the database that matched it."

"That's because he's been dead for 4 years now." Sasuke didn't hesitate. He knew the moment she said relative who it was. "It's Daisuke's."

Her eyes shot back to him in a flash, confusion now well within her features. "Dai – "

"Hey, you guys should probably head downstairs," Neji suddenly interrupted. He had heard a set of voices down this hallway after Naruto had called the meeting, but didn't hear them head toward the living room. He figured it best to tell them, just to make sure. "Naruto's called a meeting."

Both raven and rosette looked to Neji, nodding.

"Thanks, Neji. We'll be down." Sasuke told him, his voice and demeanor much different than before. After all, his Princess was alive. Maybe not in the best of shape…but alive. And that's all that mattered.

"But Sasuke," Sakura began just as Neji disappeared once more. "How can that be? Wouldn't he be…well, alive?" She asked, already knowing the past Namikaze had died and been brought back to life. It didn't make any sense to her.

Wouldn't he want to stay alive…to protect Kirei? Even to see her? After all those years…without knowing how she'd been, wouldn't he want to see his younger sibling and stay with her as long as possible?

If she were in his situation, she surely would.

Sasuke looked to her, holding the paper square in his hands, not wanting to let it go. He couldn't let go of the proof that his love was alive, not just yet. "I think I know why…I'll explain down at the meeting." He answered her, looking back at the paper again. "But really…Thank you, Sakura."

Shaking herself from her thoughts, the Haruno nodded and smiled. "You're definitely welcome, Sasuke." She answered, watching as he frequently looked back to the results on the paper. "You can keep that. I'll see you down there." With another smile to confirm it, she walked off toward the living room, keeping her pace slow so he could catch up if he chose to.

Watching her walk away, a small relieved sigh left the raven's mouth, eyes drifting back to the paper. "I will." He mumbled, looking over the results once more.

During this whole week, starting from the moment he saw all that blood, it was impossible to wrap his mind around the thought of Kirei being dead. Even if he couldn't….he did his best to prepare to hear the bad news; the news that she was really dead.

But this little paper in his hands denied his previous thoughts. It made him remember, realize, that every time he looked at it, she was alive. He had to keep it…for now, just so he could get used to that thought again…even without seeing her…without hearing her…without touching her…she was alive.

She was still, breathing, living and hopefully, loving him.

That she was out there, waiting for him.

* * *

It took a few moments, but slowly, the Uchiha followed Sakura's path to the living room downstairs, able to see from the top of the stairs that everyone had been seated and were just receiving the news from Sakura. He would have been there, but he just wanted a few moments of silence to let everything sink in. To finally realize that his Princess was alive and – for the most part – okay.

Kiba was the first one to speak after the initial shock of the blood not belonging to the younger blonde. "So…Kirei's alive?" He began, black eyes rather large as he looked up into Sakura's green eyes. He needed to hear it again, just to be absolutely sure. "It's not her blood?"

With everyone's eyes on her, she smiled softly and nodded, confirming both facts. "Yes, she is alive and yes, it is not her blood." She answered, happy to make it clear.

Sighing softly, Sasuke slowly began his descent down the stairs, knowing what question was going to be asked next. It was the exact same one Sakura tried to ask and the one that few knew the answer to.

"All right, so it's not Kirei's." Shikamaru stated, sitting in the same spot he always was during these meetings; on the end of the couch, head rolled back, hands laced together in his lap.

Sitting beside him, leaning back in a rather relaxed pose, Ino's eyebrows creased, her sight drifting away in thought. "Then whose is it?" She asked, more thinking out loud than actually asking.

There were a few looks shared between the Ninja, most already having a pretty good feeling as to who it was, but none really wanted to say it. They didn't know if they had the right to say his name after everything that had happened, even when Kirei wasn't here to hear it.

"It's Daisuke's."

All eyes looked to the landing of the staircase, slightly surprised to find the raven there, let alone speaking. He never usually spoke during these meetings unless he had to, and the group felt a little more relaxed when he said the name. He, out of anyone, had the most right to say that name, since, after all, he was Kirei's boyfriend.

He continued walking into the living room, coming to stand beside his teammates, still holding the paper tight in his hand. "According to this," He held up the paper for everyone to see. "the blood belongs to a close relative…a family member and the only person who fits is Daisuke." He explained.

There wasn't much shock that came with the answer, confusion overwhelming the surprise of most everyone other than the few who understood.

"I don't get it." Raiha began, eyebrows creased as Ino's had been, her eyes looking to the raven who seemed to have all the answers. "If that's her older brother…and he was alive…wouldn't he want to stay alive?" She asked, looking to the others as well.

"Yes…" Neji spoke up as he sat beside her, agreeing with her line of thought. "If I was in his position…I'd much rather stay alive than kill myself."

Before Sasuke could open his mouth to answer, Karin cut him off, finger pushing up her glasses. "It does make that much sense," She began, eyes closed, nodding. "an older sibling would want to stay alive. But," Opening her eyes, she looked to everyone who didn't understand, wanting to make it perfectly clear without details. "you don't understand or even know what he had to do there. It's easy to say you could stay alive," She pointed to Neji since she didn't know his name. "but would you still say that, knowing that you had no choice but to beat your younger sibling to a pulp?"

A few of the girls' mouths opened in shock, the rest looking wide eyed at the redhead.

Closing her eyes, she nodded, confirming the thoughts on their brains. "He," She avoided the Sannin's name. "does not bring back the closest dead relative to watch them or to see them. He brings them back to beat them until they are barely able to move."

"That's part of why he did it." Sasuke continued to explain, letting a silent sigh escape his lips.

"Only part?" Tenten asked, just as confused as everyone else. Karin's reason was pretty damn good; she knew she wouldn't be able to beat someone close to her and not have any choice in the matter. If dying was the only way out…she'd do it.

Black eyes diverted to the floor. "Yeah." He answered softly, knowing the reasoning so well. "The other part…I can't be completely sure on, since we only know so much about Daisuke…" He shot a look to Naruto, who shared an understanding look with Sasuke.

The blonde knew better than anyone that Sasuke, and he alone, could know how his elder cousin felt, seeing as the love he had for Kirei was so similar to Daisuke's love. He could probably guess it…but remained silent to let Sasuke explain, wanting to hear what he had to say anyway.

"But knowing what she's told me and how I feel…if I put myself in that situation…" The raven continued in a soft voice, eyes never meeting with anyone else's. "I'd want to die. It'd be really hard at first, almost impossible…and then…I'd just get to the point where I couldn't do it anymore and I can't stand to make her suffer…so I'd just take myself out of the equation." There were a lot of things he thought.

How, he couldn't dare to think about how she would react to everything. How she could sit there and take it, wanting to keep him there. How she loved him so much to be able to take it. How both of them, so close, could understand. How he, as Daisuke, would do the exact same to take back to his grave all the painful feelings and memories he brought back.

But he wouldn't dare speak these thoughts. Not everyone needed to know these things. Just knowing that it was impossible to continue living was enough for them to understand.

The room for those few moments and for a short time afterward was silent, save for the Grandfather clock tick-tocking away in the corner of the room. Eyes slowly moved, brains too busy with thought to look to another.

"…So that's what happened." Off to the side of the room, near the couch where Shikamaru, Raiha and Neji were sitting, there was a sudden crack and poof of smoke.

Eyes flashed to the smoke, recognizing the voice in almost an instant and knowing the black cloak with red clouds better than the voice. Although, only one reacted.

"Itachi?" The younger Uchiha asked as he stared, wide eyed at his brother, who he hadn't seen for a few months now. It had been quite a while, seeing as how Kirei had been kidnapped in early September and now was late February.

The elder raven smiled, waving the smoke away, hoping Sasuke wouldn't be too pissed at him for disappearing so suddenly those months ago. "Yeah, it's me, Sasuke." He honestly wasn't surprised to find his brother glaring at him.

Everyone else watched – some with a little boredom, others with amusement – as Sasuke walked up to his brother, a strange look in his eye.

"It's really nice to actually see you, you know, since you haven't been around these past few months." He said, voice sharing that strangeness.

Itachi wasn't sure whether Sasuke was happy or angry, watching with a wary eye. "There's a good reason for that…"

"And we'll be glad to hear it," He started, walking up close to his slight taller brother and wrapping his arm around his shoulders, making it seem like he was going to hug his brother. But before anyone could blink, a fist formed in his other hand and flew toward the elder's stomach, punching him square in the gut. "won't we?!" He cried with anger, glaring at his now doubled over brother.

Itachi probably deserved that, allowing himself to stay doubled over for a few moments and leaning on his brother, who still had his arm around his shoulders before standing. "I wasn't really expecting a warm welcome from you…" He began, a smile on his face. "But yeah, that's what I'd get from you."

Sasuke increased his glare, paper crinkling from the pressure of his hand as the majority of the group chuckled. It was certainly a sight to see the two Uchiha brothers, sharing their love in that special "I hate – but I really mean love – you" way that only they seemed to understand.

She was still chuckling, but decided it'd be best to ask now, rather than later. "So, where _**have**_ you guys been?" Hinata asked as she sat next to Naruto, smiling slightly at the elder Uchiha. "We had no clue where you guys were."

Itachi looked away rather sheepishly, a smile on his face, hand scratching his bags gently. "Well…to make a long story short…after we found out that Orochimaru attacked," He noticed how the redheaded girl – Karin, he believed her name to be – flinched at the name. "the Akatsuki decided that we needed to visit our former member and…" His voice faded, trying to think of the right words to use. "throw him a little party."

Raising an eyebrow, Shino figured that meant they were after blood, but decided to ask anyway. "That means?"

He obliged, looking to the bug user. "We've been tracking him for the past few months and have been looking for the best time to kill him. A few weeks ago, Deidara found that another person was there, other than Kabuto and the Snake himself, roaming the base…and after you all invaded, he disappeared." He explained, having seen the Namikaze for himself once or twice. "I believe it was Daisuke."

Naruto nodded, confirming it for the Uchiha. "Yeah, that was him. We have the blood test results," He motioned to Sasuke, who still held the paper in his hand. "if you need to see them."

"No," The elder answered, trusting the younger Nin's enough to take their word. "I believe you."

"If you really have been searching for the Sannin," Sai began, not really knowing the other raven at all, or knowing when they'd apparently gone missing, but still wanting to know something. "why did you not tell anyone of your information, especially if you had found where he was?"

Everyone, even Sasuke looked to his brother for the answer. Sai had brought up a very good point. If they had the information a long time ago as to where Orochimaru was, why didn't they tell anyone or even infiltrate the base themselves?

Itachi nodded, understanding how they could be a little upset – especially Sasuke – on their lack of assistance and inactivity. "It's very simple, really…" He started, looking at everyone to make sure that he didn't seem like it was a joke because it wasn't. "We didn't want anyone to know. We wanted to conduct our search on our own and hopefully off the bastard once we found him so you guys could focus more on the village." He stated. "And even thought we missed him last time…I've got some news that might cheer you guys up."

Once again, looks were shared, this time, a hint of excitement and relief in them instead of confusion. Slowly, they found their way to the elder Uchiha, who put his hand on his brother's head, ruffling it up.

As always, Sasuke growled, glaring up to his brother and gritting his teeth.

"We strongly believe that they're at the base we're casing right this minute." His smile never wavered, black eyes looking to those of his younger blonde counterpart; his Hokage. "That's why I came here…to tell you where we've been and see if you'd like to assist us when we infiltrate."

"We'll gladly join you!" Naruto agreed immediately, standing as a grin spread across his face. "Just give us a minute and we'll be ready, right guys?"

Agreement rang through the living room, almost everyone getting up and getting ready in a flurry. Tenten, Lee, Neji and Raiha made the decision to stay behind in the Manor to keep an eye on the city while everyone else traveled with Itachi and hopefully brought back an antidote and missing Namikaze.

"Itachi-san."

Having finished torturing his very missed younger brother for fear he'd get bitten, the elder Uchiha turned to the other raven who called his name. "Sai, right?" He asked as he walked up to meet the former traitor, eyeing the handcuffs that linked him to Naruto.

He nodded. "Yes. I just have a simple question for you about this base you're taking us to." His words were formal, voice monotonous. But something in it made it seem like he didn't trust Itachi.

The raven raised an eyebrow, but at the look from Naruto, who seemed to trust him, complied. "Sure, sure. What do you need to know?"

Very quickly, the artist pulled out one of the maps of Oto within his side pouch, spreading it on the small coffee table for them to see. "Could you point out where this base is?"

Again, Itachi looked at the raven warily, not understanding why he was asking such a question when they'd be there in about a day. Nevertheless, he examined the map and within seconds, pointed to a specific spot. "It's right around here. Is there any reason you doubt me, Sai-san?" Black met black, both as stoic as the other.

"No, of course not." The artist replied, a smile on his lips. He didn't want to be distrusted, especially by someone Naruto seemed to trust so much.

But when he looked down to the map, to where Itachi had pointed…Sai couldn't help but feel uncertainty in his heart and mind.

There had never, not once in his past services, been any base in that area of Oto.

Ever.


	19. Resolve

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Hello everyone! :D I'm not exactly sure how long it's been since I last uploaded, but with this story almost completely wrapped up, It's hard to pick a date to update. I won't make you wait too long, though, so don't worry. I've been in a pretty good mood so it shouldn't take too long to finish. I hope everyone is happy and healthy and I also hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 19 – Resolve_

* * *

Darkness was slowly creeping into the once bright sky of day, the sun already hidden below the horizon line when the group led by Itachi arrived at the makeshift Akatsuki base.

The base itself wasn't anything spectacular; it was more like a fort hidden within the tree line. Camouflaged tarps probably painted by Deidara and Sasori created small huts, protecting the members inside from the cold winter winds, snow and from being seen, while the trees, even so few at such a close proximity to Orochimaru's base provided a lot of cover.

For only being there a short time, Akatsuki had the setup down.

"You're late, you fucker!" A scream penetrated the silence as the group landed, crimson eyes glaring at his Uchiha comrade.

Itachi rolled his eyes and sighed, landing just before everyone else did. "I know, I know, Hidan. The snow got in our way."

Standing at the front of the fort, protecting the entrance, the Jashinist narrowed his eyes. "Don't give me fucking excuses, Itachi!"

Once again, the raven sighed. He had to go through this every time he was late. Sure, the snow had caused them some problems, but with a group as big as this, it wasn't easy to travel quickly anywhere. "Oh well." He replied, brushing the silver haired man aside and heading for the opening of the fort. "I brought you a consolation." Black eyes slyly looked into the crowd, smirk forming on his face.

Hidan saw it. That look on his face. Although…Itachi was pretty damn good at deceiving people. Maybe he was lying. "Oh, don't give me that bullshit, Itachi." He began, turning his head to examine the group, not certain Itachi really brought him.

There was a redhead and some kid who looked a little like Kisame…a lazy looking brunette, a blonde girl yelling at him and a redhead walking next to them, trying to calm her down. Some other brunette and his dog were next to them, poking fun at the…mysterious person next to him and a Hyuuga girl between them and some blonde kid who was handcuffed with another raven. But it wasn't the raven he was looking for.

"You better not be shitting me, Itachi." Hidan mumbled, continuing to look. "With all the shit he's been thro – " After seeing a rosette, crimson eyes widened when they found the younger raven, smile growing wide on his face. "Sasuke!"

"Oh god."

Before he let the raven get away, the Jashinist very quickly made his way over, not sure of what to do first. Maybe a punch to the gut? Nah, too much pain for him. Maybe a noogie. Yeah. Maybe.

Sasuke was frantically looking for an escape route.

When he finally found one, Hidan was already there, preventing him from escaping by forcing the younger Uchiha into a headlock, giving him a noogie. "No fucking way you're getting away from me!" He cried happily, not caring how much the raven growled and snarled in protest.

With chuckles and a signal from Itachi, the rest of the group proceeded into the makeshift base, not guilty in the least bit for leaving Sasuke to his doom.

Hidan watched with a careful eye, making sure every last person went in, and nodded back to the elder Uchiha as he slipped into the fort himself. Only then did he let Sasuke go.

Said raven was fuming, trying his best to fix his hair, scowl set upon his face. He'd never say it, never to anyone in a thousand years, but a part of him – deep, deep, deep down – did miss seeing Hidan. "Bastard…" He mumbled, avoiding eye contact and trying to hold his scowl.

"Yeah, yeah," The silver haired began, smiling. "You missed it and you fucking know it." He was only joking, slapping the shorter Uchiha's back and smiling. He'd never know it was true. "I had a shit good reason for doing that."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes and scoff, still trying to fix his hair. "Because you love to torture me." He answered, knowing this to be very, very true.

Nodding, Hidan laughed. "Yeah…" His voice faded, laugh fading with it.

It wasn't hard to mark the sudden change in the Jashinist, the raven looking him over warily. Going from happy and laughing to quiet and serious was not a good sign for him.

"Fuck, I know you're like your brother and all, Sasuke," He began, keeping crimson eyes away from the younger Uchiha he'd grown to see as a younger brother. "you both don't really like to talk about your fucking problems and shit…but if you ever need someone to talk to who'll actually fucking listen to you…" Why hadn't he practiced saying sappy things like this when he had the chance? "I'll listen. Even if it's as boring as fuck…I don't mind listening."

He wasn't shocked, at least, not a lot, black eyes staring at the Akatsuki. "…" It did make a little sense…Hidan was always interested in what Sasuke was doing and looked out for him – especially when he didn't like it – and seemed to really enjoy seeing him every once in a while. "Thanks, Hidan." He nodded after a minute of thought, seeing a smile come on the Jashinist's face.

Somehow, he figured Sasuke wouldn't really talk about everything that was going on, but he felt he should toss out the thought that he'd listen. "You're fucking welcome, little bastard." He replied, reaching out and tousling black hair just to piss him off. "Now, let's get in there before the fucking end without us. Jashin knows they would…bastards." Not wanting to make Sasuke think he'd gone all soft on him, Hidan walked away first, heading into the fort not a moment later.

Putting his cold hands into his pockets, Sasuke followed after a few moments, finding that everyone wasn't looking at him for once. Standing around a makeshift table made out of hardened clay, they were looking at a few different maps spread on the table, Pein already speaking.

"Because of these maps and our knowledge of the inside of base, Akatsuki will be clearing the inside of the base. Konoha Nin," He turned to the younger Nin. "I only ask that you clear the outside of the base and meet us in the Grand Hall, seen here."

"What happens if you find Orochimaru before we meet up?" Shikamaru asked, eyes scanning the map as he memorized it.

The leader nodded, having previously thought of that. "Should we find Orochimaru before you do, we will detain him and allow you to do what you will." His ringed eyes shifted to the blonde who wore the Hokage cloak. "After all, the Hokage should ultimately decide what happens to him."

Busy looking at the map to make sure he knew it – even though he'd probably forget it anyway – Naruto looked up, blue eyes meeting with ringed. "I won't make the same mistake as my dad did. I can understand why he banned him…but this…all of this…can't be forgiven."

Many eyes looked to the blonde's, agreeing with him. Orochimaru had a chance and used it. There were no third chances.

"Be forewarned, Konoha…Orochimaru will do anything possible to remain alive." He warned. "He will go as far as taking one of us and using them as a shield…or use his hostage as a cover. Don't let him get away, no matter what." He said calmly, looking to everyone, even his Akatsuki. "As soon as night falls, we will initiate the plan." Pein said with conviction after hearing Naruto's statement.

He found no fault in the Yondaime's banning of the Sannin at the time, but now…to hear the son of the Hokage – and current Hokage – deciding that there wouldn't be another chance for the snake made him feel rather confident about the blonde.

Even though Naruto was still young, naïve and a bit immature, he knew deep down that one day, the Uzumaki would make a Hokageship like none had ever seen.

* * *

It didn't seem like much time had passed, but night had quickly fallen and just like Pein had commanded, the plan was set into action.

Konoha, as they were called to not confuse the groups, wasted no time in searching the perimeter around the base. It was a little unnerving and odd to find that there wasn't anyone outside the base, but the group disregarded it. Less people outside gave them more time to get inside, kill the snake bastard, get an antidote and get Kirei back.

But when they arrived in the Grand Hall, they realized something was horribly wrong.

"What do you mean, "They're puppets!"?!" Konan yelled into her communicator, Sasori, Deidara, Hidan and Pein at her side.

A few Konoha hearts dropped when they saw the looks on their faces. They looked devastated.

Naruto wasted no time asking. He didn't even land before he opened his mouth. "What's going on?" He asked frantically, looking from member to member.

The four male members shared looks, not exactly sure of what to say or who should say it. Nevertheless, it would really be a blow to their hope.

"Sasori," Konan cut in before anyone could speak, her back to the new arrivals. "are you sure, absolutely sure there isn't another puppeteer here? Or are you doing this?"

The redhead stood up in a flash, anger shown in his usually half-lidded eyes. "No!" He cried in disbelief. "I'd never do something like this! As far I as can tell, there's no one else here but us!" Before had a chance to realize it, Sasori's usually tight lipped mouth had run away with him.

Worried glances shot to each other.

"…What do you mean by that?" Kiba asked with a soft, shaky voice, staring at the redhead for answers.

Jumping at the sudden voice, Konan turned around, shocked to find the group staring back at her with shock in their eyes. "Oh god…" She began, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. She couldn't believe she didn't check to make sure the young Nin weren't here before screaming. "I really hate to say this. I really do…" She began slowly, deciding it'd be easier if she didn't look at any of them.

Konoha knew by the expression she wore and the tone of her voice that it wasn't happy news; their heart's dropping in their chests.

Akatsuki looked away, not wanting to see the disappointment and anguish in the face and eyes of their younger Nin.

"The base is empty."

* * *

Not even an hour passed before they had figured out that everyone inside the base were decoys. They had been set up to believe that the base was a real one, when, confirming Sai's lingering doubts, it was meant to deceive them and give Orochimaru just a little more time to remain alive.

With lingering and crushed hearts they returned to the fort, only to find the majority of the members tearing it down.

"What are you guys doing?" Ino asked to any one of the members who would respond, the rest of the Konoha gang also wondering.

Itachi was the only one to turn around, knowing his friends were busy getting everything together. "Come with me." He motioned to Konoha, leading them away from the destruction so they wouldn't have to yell.

Sighing softly when they were at a distance, he looked to everyone, finding it hard to look each one of them in the eye, especially his brother. They looked so…disappointed, which was completely understandable. But there was something a little more that made it so difficult.

It looked like they were starting to lose hope.

Black eyes looked away. "We're moving on." He said simply, glancing back to a different person each time he looked to the group. "If he's not here, there's no point in staying. We're going to move on to the next place and keep looking for him. This time around, though," He made sure to keep eye contact this time to make sure they heard. "we'll keep you updated."

Naruto nodded, sighing a heavy sigh. "Thanks, Itachi." He said, his voice a little down. He imagined everyone's was, seeing as how the base being empty was a big letdown. They probably shouldn't've gotten their hopes up…but it'd been so long since they'd heard an ounce of happy news that they just couldn't help it.

"Oh and," The elder raven began, walking closer to the group and his brother, setting a hand on his younger's head, ruffling his hair despite how he growled. "don't lose hope." He let his black eyes linger with his brother's for a moment, glancing to everyone else.

They returned the look, not sure of what to make of his words. Don't lose hope? How could they not? All of their efforts had only brought more anguish, more pain, more sadness instead of fixing the situation. And now, when they finally thought they had him, had an end to all of this torment, it was for naught. Their efforts, had once again, brought them to despair.

"I'm not giving up until I have her back." His eyes and voice had the same misery everyone else's had. He felt the same way, if not worse than all of them. But his resolve was clear.

Sasuke wasn't giving up.

A smile slipped onto Itachi's lips, his hand leaving his brother's head. "Good." He answered, looking at the rest of Konoha to see their expressions. "I hope we'll see each other in the near future." With the looks they had, he was pretty sure it was okay to leave them. "See you."

Sadness was still within their eyes, but that little sparkle, that little flair of life shown through and told him that no matter what the outcome, they were going to fight.

They wouldn't lose hope.

* * *

It was late when the grouped arrived back at the manor, the crescent moon high in the night sky, illuminating the fresh white snow on the ground and the warm breath they expelled. Other than their footsteps and occasional regaining of breath, the city of Konoha was quiet in this late hour.

However, even with how late it was, no one felt like sleeping.

They knew they probably should rest after the day they'd had, but somehow, they knew they wouldn't sleep anyway. Everyone had so much on their mind, so many thoughts as to what went wrong, why it went wrong, that no one could shut their mind off to sleep.

So, with everyone awake, they voted to watch a movie or two. Everyone had the extreme hope that with the movie and the company around them, their minds would drift off, away from the harsh reality around them.

Just as they'd begun to sit down and relax, few noticed that one person wasn't sitting down. Actually, it looked as if he was preparing to leave.

"Aren't you going to watch the movie with us, Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly, not wanting to bring too much attention to him. She knew he'd hate it if everyone tried to convince him to stay.

He looked to the sitting rosette, her eyebrows creased, head tilted slightly. Zipping up his jacket and pulling the collar closer to his face, he diverted his sight. "No…" He answered softly. "I've got somewhere else to be right now."

Green eyes watched him walk out of the room, not even getting the chance to reply. But she knew better than to ask someone or to follow him. She could tell by that distant, sad look in his eyes that he was in deep thought and was probably going somewhere to be alone to think.

Sighing softly out of worry, she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind, knowing that once he calmed down and thought what he needed to think, he'd be back.

She was sure of it.

* * *

"Tsunade." The raven almost begged, looking at the grandmother with a depressed look. "Please let me see him."

The blonde sighed a heavy sigh, fingers meeting her forehead as she stood behind the counter of Konoha Hospital. "Sasuke, I would love to let you see him. You're like a son to him too…but I can't." She informed, voice sympathetic, eyes closed. "Visiting hours are beyond over."

He stood on the other side of the counter, hoping he could convince her. He had to see the Yondaime. Tonight. "Please." He begged again, trying to catch her sight. "I need to talk to him."

Rolling her lip and biting on it gently, Tsunade told herself she shouldn't. She wasn't allowed to break protocol for anyone, even if she was the boss. But the sadness and urgency in his voice broke her heart. With a heavy sigh, she relented. "Okay, Sasuke. I'll let you see him…but you have to promise me that this never happened." Brown eyes bored into black, knowing he knew this already, but had to make sure. He had to understand that something like this could never leave his mouth.

He nodded, eyes never leaving hers. "What happened?" He asked back, confirming what she had already said.

With a silent nod in return, she turned away from him and walked out from behind the counter, silently leading the Uchiha to the Yondaime's private room.

He followed her footsteps closely so that if anyone saw them, he could hide behind her, and creased his eyebrows when they stepped to the employee elevator. With silence, he watched, waiting for an answer as they stepped inside.

Before pressing any button, Tsunade looked into the hallway. Finding no one, she returned inside and pressed the down button.

When the doors closed and the elevator jerked downward, the Sannin explained. "For any normal person, a private room would be within the top floors of the hospital, giving family extra space from other patients. But for someone as important as Minato…we have top secret rooms downstairs, below ground, where even the database can't log him in. It's harder for an enemy to find an injured Hokage when the room doesn't even exist." She fully explained, voiced hushed, hand extending to the button panel again.

Sasuke watched with a curious eye as the elevator stopped and a hidden panel of numbers appeared next to the down button. He noticed that it had at least nine different buttons on it and figured it was a secret code.

She entered the six digit code faster than his normal eyes could catch and with a jerk, the elevator traveled further downward. "We're not completely sure if he can hear right now. We're pretty sure that he can, but without some form of communication, we can't be entirely positive." The blonde told him, looking to the raven.

He remained silent for a few moments, eyes drifting away to think. "That's okay…" He began softly, feeling the elevator start to slow. "I just need to…think…and say a few things."

It wasn't hard to tell that the Uchiha had a lot on his mind, her brown eyes able to tell almost immediately. "So long as you're gone by morning rounds, take as much time as you want."

Sasuke wasn't looking at her, but nodded at her words. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be long…he just had some things he had to say and say only to the Yondaime. His words weren't for Yamato or Naruto to hear.

As soon as the elevator stopped, the doors opened, revealing what seemed to be yet another, single hospital hallway, only less dim. Tsunade left the elevator first, Sasuke following her footsteps as she walked down the hallway to the last door. Where the handle would have been was a small scanner, enough for a person's thumb to fit.

"It's a special lock that's chakra and DNA recognized only." She explained, setting her thumb on the door. "Only family members with a particular chakra and DNA strand are allowed in, which is why I escorted you down here." With a small beep and click, the door opened slightly. It was pushed further open by the blonde, who held the door open and smiled softly to her almost grandson. "Go ahead in."

He lingered outside for a moment, black eyes looking to brown. "Thank you." He spoke softly, eyes and voice expressing all the emotion he had right now.

Tsunade's smile grew as she leaned forward and stood on her tip toes slightly, reaching up and planting a soft kiss on his black locks. "You don't have to thank me, silly." She mumbled, still smiling. "You're like my grandson, too."

Without a word or a glance, she walked away from him, the door shutting behind her with a soft thud. She had no doubt in her heart or mind that she could leave the two of them alone, having the utmost faith in Sasuke.

He was nearly her grandson anyway, so what did it matter?

* * *

It certainly wasn't easy to see the Yondaime, the only real father type figure Sasuke had ever had, lying motionless on the white bed, save for the oxygen that was slowly making his chest rise and fall, keeping him alive.

Nevertheless, the Uchiha pulled up the only chair in the room and sat beside the blonde, black eyes blankly looking him over. He leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees, trying to think of where to start, let alone what to say first. There was so much on his mind…so many thoughts to speak…to express.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Minato…I really hope you can…" He began softly, eyes gazing at the white of the bed, not wanting to look directly at the Hokage. "There's been a lot on my mind during these past months…some of it…you deserve to hear."

The beeping of the Hokage's heart monitor never changed, the pulses at a steady and slow beat. It was as if Minato were telling him to go on in that soft and calm way he did.

"I love Kirei." He stated adamantly, voice never losing its softness. "You know just as well as anyone that I do." Sighing softly, he let his eyes travel to the Yondaime's face, wondering if he could really be listening. "She's only my girlfriend…and I haven't known her long…just a few years…but she means so much _**more**_ to me than that. She's…" His voice faded, black eyes diverting away and spacing out.

The beeping continued as soft and slow as ever, his breathing quiet and steady, like he were sitting across from the Uchiha and was looking right at him, listening to every word he had to say.

Sasuke gulped thickly, choking up slightly at the thought of what the youngest Namikaze meant to him. "She's my everything, Minato. I don't know if Naruto's been here to tell you what's been going on…but the situation's so bad." Closing his eyes in some effort to stop them from welling up, the Uchiha let out his worst fear; the one thing he hadn't admitted to himself yet. "I could lose her." His voice cracked, eyes shutting tighter. "And all she is is my _**girlfriend**_."

There were long minutes where Sasuke didn't speak. The only sounds in the rooms were the Yondaime's breathing and heart monitor beeping and soft sobs.

Trying to gulp down the lump that remained in his throat, the Uchiha tried to dry his eyes on his sleeve. "I don't even know…" His voice faded, eyes finally opening and looking to the ceiling, another soft sob escaping his mouth.

He didn't even want to think about what he'd do if he lost her. He didn't even want to think about losing her.

Still, the soft and steady beeping continued, as if telling Sasuke to go on. Telling him that Minato was right there with him, listening and smiling in that special way he did.

"I know you aren't her father," He began, regaining some control over his emotions. "you're her uncle…but that's close enough, isn't it?" His question remained unanswered, eyes finally looking to the blonde. "…Minato…_**Dad**_." He called him, tears brimming on his eyes again. He always remembered how the Hokage tried to convince him to call him that, to make him feel like part of the family. He always denied it, having never knowing that feeling and what it was like.

But now, Sasuke finally felt like he had a family. A family that he loved. A family that loved him. A family that he finally belonged to.

"I want to marry Kirei."

* * *

Tsunade didn't understand the phone call she'd received in the least bit. Her grandson sounded so excited and…happy that it was hard to make out what he'd even said. She couldn't even believe that they were awake this early in the morning.

If she had to guess, it was close to sunrise.

Nevertheless, she was asked if Sasuke had been by and if he was still there, that he should return to the manor as soon as possible. With a sigh, she told her grandson that he'd be informed and for the second time, left her counter to go to the private room downstairs.

She'd known she told Sasuke to stay as long as he liked, but to stay this entire time was so unlikely of the Uchiha. He, for the most part, hated hospitals and had to be dragged to see his own brother when he was injured a few years ago. It didn't make much sense…but now that the blonde thought about it, nothing made sense anymore.

Arriving at the door of the Yondaime's room, she pressed her thumb to the pad, the door opening with a rather loud thunk. "Sasuke?" She asked softly, not wanting to startle the Uchiha.

"Yeah." Was the soft reply.

Kids. She rolled her eyes, wishing that they'd actually respond with a sentence rather than a word and walked further inside. "Naruto just called me – " She began, walking over to the bed of her son. When her brown eyes met with black, she was a little more than shocked.

His eyes were horribly rimmed red, as if he'd been crying most of the night. His rather red face didn't disprove this rather shocking fact.

"Oh yeah," The raven cut her off, creasing his brows as he sat back in the chair. "What time is it?"

Wow. Sasuke was really off today. "It's almost sunrise." She told him, figuring with his shocked look, he didn't expect it to be so early. "But anyway," The blonde continued, remember her grandson telling her it was super important he got the information. "Naruto just called and said that he needs you back at the manor immediately."

His eyebrows remained creased, black eyes looking up into brown. Tsunade had to know by now he'd been crying, but he really didn't care. She, unlike others close to him, could actually keep a secret. "Why?"

Shifting slightly and resting her weight on her left leg, she sighed and closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was her grandson said. "He seemed excited…rambling on about some base and he mentioned Itachi...they found the base?" She questioned, not sure if that meant anything to him.

Apparently, it had.

When she opened her eyes to get an explanation or some sort of reaction, the raven was gone from the room. "Well." She began, shaking her head. "No thank you or nothing." Despite her words, there was a smile on her face, knowing he didn't mean it. "When you wake up," She looked to her son, wondering if he really could hear her. "you better do something about these kids of yours."

* * *

As quickly as his chakra would take him, Sasuke teleported to the Manor, landing in the living room and almost getting run over.

"Oh, sorry, Sasuke!" Tenten quickly said, her shoulder hitting square with his. She hadn't really expected to have him suddenly pop in right there, but instead of hitting him dead on, she was barely able to move so just their shoulders would collide.

Before he could reply or respond in the least, she ran off, heading up the stairs of the Hokage Manor. "It's….all right…" He mumbled, watching the scene before him.

It wasn't just Tenten who was in a rush. _**Everyone**_ was.

Every person who had been spending every night here since last August, even some of the lazier ones, were moving as fast as they could, carrying supplies from place to place and moving things around.

The Uchiha knit his eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on. Akatsuki hadn't found the base this fast, had they? He knew they were quick and relentless….but not like _**this**_.

"Teme! You're here!"

Hearing some form of his name, the raven looked up to the owner of the voice. "What the hell is going on?" He asked, looking up to the Uzumaki and artist who stood next to the railing of the Office.

The Hokage tugged his head toward the office, smile on his face. He knew Sasuke was really going to enjoy this news. It was the first, real, good news they'd heard in months. "I'll explain up here so we're not in the way."

There was something in his best friend's voice and the smile on his face that made Sasuke's previously thought question seem true. His heart certainly hoped so, a small smile appearing on his face as he nodded.

He avoided everyone moving up and down the stairs, not really wanting to get in their way and wanting to get into the office as soon as possible. Naruto and Sai led the raven in, both of them going behind the Hokage desk as they always did.

"Nice to see you back, Sasuke." Sakura said as the Uchiha entered the room. She offered a smile before returning to the paperwork she and Hinata were working on.

Shikamaru was also in the room, a headset upon his ears and a small microphone near his mouth, obscuring him from noticing the raven's appearance.

"So what the hell is going on around here?" Sasuke asked his blonde friend after nodding to Sakura. He didn't care about anything other than that.

Naruto couldn't help but smile, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Always straight to the point, Teme." He remarked, eyes drifting upward before returning. "We just got a call from Itachi about 10 minutes ago. They searched throughout the night for another base…and they found one. One that corresponds with the one's Sai's pointed out to us." He informed, leaving out little details. He knew Sasuke would only want what's most important.

At first, the raven stared in slight shock at his best friend. Then, as if someone flicked a switch in his brain, thousands of thoughts began flooding his mind, mouth unable to ask them quick enough. Only one question got through. "Then why aren't we leaving?"

A sigh left the Uzumaki's mouth, eyes shifting downward, away from hopeful black eyes. "Well…they've confirmed it's one of the bases…but not "the" one." He said, voice a little less chipper than before. It was understandable, since it wasn't true good news. "As far as we've heard, they've seen movement in the building, but they haven't seen Orochimaru, Kabuto or Kirei and they aren't moving forward until they see and have evidence of all three of them being there." He continued.

They could understand the Akatsuki's tactics, but they'd never know that Akatsuki was really being so thorough so that they wouldn't have to see the crushed hearts and faces of Konoha again.

It was a little bit of a blow to Sasuke's sudden hope. But it wasn't enough to depress him. "Okay…so we're just preparing, then?" He asked, figuring that was the next step. Really, other than waiting, it was the _**only**_ step.

Naruto nodded, glad to see that not all of the Uchiha's optimism had been demolished. "Yeah." He confirmed, not needing to explain why.

Everyone, not just Sasuke and Naruto, wanted this to be over. They wanted their Yondaime back. They wanted Kirei home and safe. They wanted Orochimaru dead. Just that was enough for everyone to prepare to be in Oto at a moment's notice.

With a small sigh, not out of depression but more of tiredness and relief, the Uchiha looked down to the desk. It was really nice, after all these months, to hear news like that. It wasn't entirely good, but it had more hope than anything they'd heard. "I guess I'll start preparing too."

Before he could slip out of the room, Naruto shot a look to everyone, Hinata poking Shikamaru to get his attention. Without a word, they stopped what they were doing and left the room, shutting the door behind them. Even Sai, who normally would listen in, turned away from the two friends – almost brothers, really – and put a pair of headphones on. Sasuke could slightly hear music playing through them, meaning the artist couldn't hear anything.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Naruto. What was he up to…?

"So…" The blonde began with a dangerously devilish tone, smile wide on his face, eyes sly. "why did you go see my dad?" He asked, able to see how shocked Sasuke looked, which only confirmed it for him. "If I remember correctly, don't you hate hospitals?"

Damn that Tsunade. Sure, his mouth had dropped a little and he lost the narrowing of his eyes, but Sasuke was not, in any way, going to confirm that at all. Especially to Naruto. "I didn't go see him." He denied with a relatively calm voice. "I was talking with Tsunade about something." He didn't really see how that was any of the blonde's business anyway. Sure, that was his dad…but he didn't have to say what he said. He wouldn't repeat that statement until the time was right.

Naruto's smile widened, if at all possible. He resisted the very strong urge to chuckle. "That's not what she said…" He mumbled in a sing-song tone.

A glare was soon set upon the blonde. He was so damn lucky he was handcuffed to Sai or Sasuke would be strangling him by now.

"Okay, okay…" The Hokage relented, smile still on his face. So Sasuke didn't want to confirm it. That was okay. After all, his dad always told him to make sure the raven felt like family. If Sasuke didn't want to talk, he didn't have to. "I'll stop."

A very quiet sigh of relief left the Uchiha's lips. He was pretty sure, almost 100 percent sure that Naruto might just kill him had he learned of Sasuke's plans. After vacation and how possessive the blonde had been, he wasn't taking any chances.

"But seriously…." Naruto began in the silence, smile faded, voice not as happy. He wasn't angry, just meeting the serious tone his next words had. "I would really, really prepare, Sasuke. Not just physically for the battle….but mentally too." He knew the Uchiha probably didn't want to talk about it, but someone had to make it clear and the only person who'd be able to do it and have the raven actually listen was him. His eyes met with black eyes, surprised to find them with his. "We don't know what we're going to find up there…we could have the best situation…or the worst."

If Naruto had said that, if _**anyone**_ had told him that in the first few months, Sasuke might have had a horrible reaction, lashing out and telling them that everything would be fine. That Kirei would come back completely unharmed, as if she'd never even left in the first place.

However, Sasuke knew better. He knew that even with the best situation – that she was alive – she'd be in horrible physical and even worse mental condition. She'd have a lot of things wrong with her. She might not even be the same person anymore.

As horrible as that sounded to him, he knew it was much better than the worst situation. He'd take her being a different person and unstable over her being dead any day.

But there was something within the Uchiha that told him either situation was...okay. Not that he wanted Kirei dead or unstable, but that, should they happen…he wouldn't spiral into depression and try to kill himself. He would….as strange as it sounded now, try to move on and live his life.

Sasuke knew, deep down, the only reason he felt so calm about it was because that's what Kirei would want him to do. She'd want him, should she not be there, to move on with life. Should she be there, she'd want to move on and get past everything.

Black eyes looked dead into blue eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. "Don't worry so much." He said, toying with the blonde. "You'll start losing all your "gorgeous" blonde hair if you keep worrying like that." He said sarcastically. "I'm prepared no matter what happens."

Naruto could only chuckle back, almost laughing. "Fine, Teme." He answered, nodding as his friend began to walk out of the office, off to prepare for the trip – whenever it was.

But just before Sasuke could open the door, let alone get out of the office, he was sternly corrected.

"It _**is**_ gorgeous blonde hair."

* * *

The rest of the month of March passed by without so much as a word from Akatsuki. April was nearly the same, save for a small tidbit at the end of the month, a few days before May had begun.

Kisame was the one to report, all other members busy doing other things. He, using Itachi's phone, had contacted Naruto and explained that they've seen both Kabuto and Kirei, but only got a picture of the latter. They would wait until they'd had a photo of Kabuto to confirm his presence there.

The only detail the shark left out was instructed by Itachi to do so. It wasn't all that important anyway, but figured it would make Konoha a little antsier to get going, which wouldn't help Akatsuki's position at all.

He had instructed Kisame to leave out the young Namikaze's condition. It seemed that she was healthy, save for the ever prominent bruises and scratches on her body, but what really worried some of the members was the wound on her right thigh. It was rather huge and infected, probably hurt immensely and caused the blonde to walk with a limp.

They knew that if she didn't receive proper medical attention, the limp would become permanent, making the need of gathering evidence even more urgent.

It made a lot of sense to others to tell Konoha of her condition, but Itachi argued against it, knowing it might crush them a little. Sure, they'd probably be more riled and want to kill Orochimaru a little more – if that was possible at this point – but, they'd also be worried about her. Konoha didn't need to be more distracted by irrelevant information than they already were. Akatsuki needed them to be as focused on getting Orochimaru and Kabuto as soon as possible, since it wouldn't be easy to take down the Sannin.

With securely valid points, Kirei's condition was left out of the message.

* * *

Just like March and April, the rest of May passed without a word. Snow had melted, spring had come and gone and before they knew it, it was the beginning of June. And Summer.

Most all in the Manor remembered the Summer before this; when the fake Akatsuki had been dealt with, the movie had just premiered and they were finally starting to get their lives back. They also vividly remembered that by the end of summer, that happy feeling they had was ripped from under their feet. It had been almost a year since Minato was attacked and slipped into a coma, and Kirei had been taken. She'd been with Orochimaru and Kabuto for almost a year now.

Despite how well they remembered these facts, none of them were on their minds at the moment. With them only waiting for Akatsuki to send confirmation, filming continued at a much faster pace than before. They only had a few more scenes to finish, but everyone was focused on them, their minds finally relaxing at having something to think about other than the Snake.

It had been that way for a while, almost a month. Their minds would shut off the part thinking about Orochimaru, the Yondaime, Kirei, the city of Konoha and they focused solely on filming. They didn't let anything distract them, wanting to finish for their fans, who loyally stayed with the show despite the turmoil of the city.

This day, though, would be different.

It was right after lunch, the sun high in the sky, most everyone already in front of the camera and acting when a very familiar, unexpected but gladly seen person arrived.

"So here you guys are." The raven said as he appeared close to the main camera.

Everyone, even the ones acting at the moment, stopped dead, looking to the elder Uchiha. Glances and smiles were quickly exchanged.

Itachi smiled to everyone, especially his younger brother, nodding in confirmation. "Yes, we have pictures of all three. We've found them."

Before the director – who was already upset that everyone had stopped moving in the middle of filming – could blink, there was a flurry of movement, everyone trying to get all their materials and get back to the manor as quickly as possible. "What the hell is going on here?!" He began, getting up from his chair, hand gripping the script in his hand tightly.

No one answered him, too busy trying to get everything together and get going.

He watched as one by one, all of his actors vanished before his eyes. "Ugh!" He began, throwing his hands up in defeat as the last actors left. "Ninja!" He rolled his eyes and turned away, telling his crew to pack up for the day.

It's not like they were going to get anything done without any actors, so packing up was the only thing to do.

Arriving at the Manor just as quickly as they did, Itachi was shocked, astounded that within seconds, maybe a minute, everyone was ready to go, waiting for him to lead the way. "You ready?" He asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto, dressed complete in his father's Hokage garb, spoke for the rest of the group. "We've been ready for months." He answered, smirking at the raven, eyes adamant with a smidge of killing intent in them. "Let's go kill us a Snake."


	20. Goodbye

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ I'm sorry this is so late. Time seems to have slipped out from under me. Fact Vs Fiction is almost finished on my part, so expect some updates sooner than this xD. I will post a poll on my account page on what story you'd like to see next: Pokemon or Zoids....so please, if you like either one, will you take the poll? Or even send me a message :D Enjoy the chapter. It's one of my favorites.

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 20 – Goodbye_

* * *

By the time both Konoha and Akatsuki began their invasion of Orochimaru's base, every person there knew exactly what their job was. Itachi had explained on the way to the base what Pein had already determined for everyone and made sure that they understood. Screw ups couldn't be afforded, not in a situation like this.

Because of their closeness with the situation and the family members that were tied to it, Naruto, Sai, Hinata, Sasori, Itachi, Sasuke, Sakura and Hidan would be the only people pursuing either Orochimaru or Kabuto. Everyone else, along with the others of Akatsuki, would be either outside or inside as well, clearing the path and taking care of any guards or prisoners who decided to get in the way.

From there, if Naruto, Sai, Hinata and Sasori found Kabuto before the other specified group, they were to continue pursuing Kabuto. That would leave Itachi, Sasuke, Sakura and Hidan to search for Orochimaru and hunt him. As with any plan, the opposite could happen as well. No one really cared who got who – even though both Naruto and Sasuke wanted to off the Snake bastard – so long as they were both dead by the time this raid was over, they and everyone else were happy.

Unfortunately for the blonde Hokage who's father's fate rested solely on the outcome of this raid, his group was not the group to find Orochimaru.

Going down one of the larger hallways, Hinata leading the way with her Byakugan, they stumbled upon the greedy and ever ruthless minion of the Snake: Kabuto. He was simply standing there in the large rock passage, facing them, as if he were waiting. "It's about time." He said smugly, pushing his glasses up. "I was wondering if any of you could actually find me."

Sai stared, just like everyone else, in a bit of shock. "You already knew we were coming?" He asked, eyebrows ruffled.

The medic Nin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Of course I knew. I could sense your chakra miles away." He answered, crossing his arms and looking over to the group, mainly Naruto. "But before we fight…I have a few things to say."

Said blonde's eyebrows creased at his words, body tense. He was outnumbered four to one and he was still going to fight? That was like asking for death… The Hokage's mind suddenly made it make sense.

Kabuto was banking on them killing him.

"Well go on," Sasori began, feeling adrenaline run through his veins, anger displayed in his normally unemotional eyes. "speak your last words."

Lavender eyes opened and slid to the direction of the group, focusing on those familiar, hated blue eyes. "Just as my boss, I too share a hatred of you Namikaze's." He growled, glare fixed on an unaffected Naruto. "It's not because you did something to me…no, I just hate you because you exist. All of you with those horrific blue eyes…always watching, always fucking staring me down. I've always hated that city of yours too – "

"Okay, whatever." Naruto cut him off rather angrily. He didn't care if he was insulted, but he was _**not**_ going to let the city he loved be offended. "Get on with it."

Kabuto's glare intensified, his voice gaining an even graver snarl. "Fine then, bastard." He spat, a sudden change taking place in him as his words left his mouth. The snarl left his voice, the glare leaving his eyes. A sinister smile took his lips, eyes and voice gaining a rather happy stance. "Orochimaru will never die. Even if you manage to kill him now…he will be back." He warned, knowing what they did not. "Your cousin or whoever she is…will be forever scarred. She will never be the girl you once knew!"

A snarl had begun to form in Naruto's voice, anger bubbling in his veins. "Enough of this bullshit." He commanded, looking to each of his friends beside him. "Whatever you do, don't kill him. I want him alive."

"Alive?" Sasori questioned, seeing Hinata and Sai already in a fighting stance, not questioning his request. "Why alive?"

While Kabuto continued to speak, not caring if they were listening or not, Naruto glanced to Sasori and smiled. "So that he can pay for what's he done to my Dad, my cousin and the rest of the city of Konoha."

A matching smile grew on the face of the puppet master, his eyes returning to the Medic Nin who was still talking. He, like Sai and Hinata, took a fighting stance. His faith in the blonde had never wavered and it still hadn't. It only intensified.

Not wasting any time, nor wanting to hear his blather, the four nin attacked before Kabuto could finish his last sentence.

* * *

Just like Kabuto, Orochimaru already knew Akatsuki and those Konoha brats were in the base as he walked at a brisk pace down the hallway, dragging along the mouse. He knew they were after him and that, with little doubt in his mind, he wouldn't make it out alive.

At least…Kabuto might not. He'd be losing a good assistant, but what did he care? The snake only did what benefited him and helping Kabuto try to win a losing fight was not something that benefited him.

The only thing that did right now, and might possibly keep him alive a little longer, was the deadweight he was dragging behind him. He figured – no, he knew – the two Uchiha brothers were after him, knowing both Itachi and Sasuke hated him possibly more than he hated the Yondaime.

What he also figured is that if the mouse were his hostage, they couldn't attack him. They wouldn't harm her just to get to him, would they? No, they certainly wouldn't. "Pick up the pace, brat." He growled, jerking her forward.

As always, she stumbled from his tug, regaining her wobbly balance thanks to his grip on her wrist and tried to go faster. Kirei didn't have a clue as to why she'd been taken out of her cell – by Orochimaru, no less – and was being dragged around like a rag doll because of her leg, but she'd stopped caring a long time ago. After Daisuke died, she stopped caring what they did to her.

Nothing could hurt more than that.

Not even the festering wound on her right thigh that simply refused to heal that caused the blonde immense pain almost all the time and gave her an unsightly limp. Despite this and all the other wounds on her body that weren't nearly as bad, losing Daisuke for the second time in her life was incomparable.

Quickening his pace even more as he felt the Uchiha's immense chakra closing in, Orochimaru swiftly yanked Kirei around the corner, never looking behind him. He didn't want to see those furious red eyes staring back at him.

She followed his movements sloppily, ruffling her eyebrows at the back of the Snake's head. It didn't make sense that he was acting this way….this _**jittery**_ way. Orochimaru was almost always calm and collected.

Within seconds, the blonde heard something, a familiar something that cleared up her confusion completely.

They weren't that close, probably a good few feet behind her own, but she could hear footfalls. Footfalls only meant one thing; there were other people in the base. "Orochimaru!!!" An angered cry sounded, echoing in the halls.

Still being dragged along, blue eyes lit up as a smile crossed her lips. She knew that voice anywhere. But before she could reply, before she could tell her Prince she was right there, a few feet from him, she was silenced.

The Snake knew exactly where he was when he arrived in the Grand Hall, a rather large and plain room with no special qualities like the other bases had. It was plain and a bit ugly, however, it was perfect for a battle. "Now," He began, going to the far wall and turning to the blonde. He set his hands on her shoulders, not wanting to touch her in disgust, but knowing he had to and held her still. "You be a good Namikaze and look here." With a growl, he forced himself to look into blue eyes.

Staring for seconds, only seconds, Kirei's eyes darted away and continued to dart back and forth in confusion. There was something wrong. Something gravely wrong as she tried to speak.

Kirei couldn't move.

The Sannin smiled, successfully paralyzing the blonde as he let go of her and moved to the other side of the room. He stayed square with her, finally deciding what he was going to do.

He had tried to deny it before, but knew that even with the blonde with him, he wasn't going to make it out alive. There wasn't a way in heaven, hell or here on earth that the Uchiha's – let alone the Uzumaki brat – were going to let him leave with an inch of his life.

It did not take him long to realize that his dream, his life's dream of obtaining the position of ruler of Konoha was never going to happen. He would never have Hokage.

And if he couldn't have Hokage, no one could have Kirei.

He smiled wickedly, eyes crazily staring into wide blue eyes. "I suggest you say your last words, Namikaze…" The Snake said, gathering up a massive amount of chakra as his smile widened. "Oh that's right. You can't."

Kirei watched in complete horror, unable to move out of the way, as Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin, released an attack straight from his mouth, aimed at her head. She was going to die.

"Kirei!!!" The younger Uchiha cried, arriving with his brother that very moment, heart breaking. He knew there wasn't enough time to jump out of the way. There wasn't enough time to break her trance and grab her.

There was only time to protect the girl he loved with all his heart.

Anger boiled in the elder Uchiha's veins. How dare Orochimaru even think of attacking Kirei! "Hello, old _**friend**_." His voice was dripping with fury and sarcasm as he appeared in front of the Sannin, staring him down with the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Her eyes closed out of fear, the blonde opened them slowly, wondering why she hadn't felt anything yet. She'd obviously feel a lot more pain than this with an attack like that. Or was she already dead?

When her blue eyes met the black shirt and very familiar black hair of her beloved, she gasped shakily, eyes tearing up instantly. He hadn't…really…

A soft choking sound left Sasuke's mouth as he stumbled backward into her, trying to keep his breathing even with the gaping wound in his chest.

"Oh god…" She whispered with a heavily teary voice, trying to hold him up as he fell into her. Not yet able to see the wound, she could see his blood dripping to the floor, her hands feeling the warm liquid against her skin.

Slowly, Sasuke fell to the floor chest up, Kirei falling right beside him, the little strength left in her good leg unable to hold the both of them up.

Now able to see the crimson wound on his chest, blood seeping out and pooling around the two of them, the blonde's heart beat a fast as it could go, breathing just as fast as tears fell from her eyes. "Oh god, Sasuke…" She sobbed, looking the wound over while trying to figure out what to do.

She wasn't trained for anything like this! She had no clue, no thought on how to save him. She couldn't save the one person who saved her life.

Sasuke already knew, sight fading from his black eyes, that there was nothing that could be done. This was too great a wound, the center of his chest half gone and being eaten away by the venom surrounding it to be fixed. The taste of blood in his mouth and his sight slowly leaving him made him understand that he'd never get up again. He'd never leave this spot, at least…not alive.

Despite the pain, despite the fact he knew it was useless to try to fight, he commanded his right hand to rise. Shakily, it did so, reaching for the battered face of his blonde. He wanted to hold her one last time.

Jumping slightly as she felt his cold fingertips graze across her cheek, blue eyes darted to his black eyes. She tried her best to hold back her tears, eyes closing.

Sasuke was looking directly into those blue eyes, lips doing their best to form a smile for her.

Sobs uncontrollable now, Kirei opened her eyes, reaching both of her hands to his, holding it against her cheek as she tried not to cry. It was useless.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as well, black eyes no longer able to distinguish clear lines. But he could see those eyes. Those entrancing blue eyes that made him love her in the first place. Those deep, pristine blue eyes that he'd never, not in a million years, forget. He'd missed them so much during these past months….but he'd never forgotten how they looked. He couldn't.

Not looking away but closing his eyes, Sasuke coughed harshly, feeling the pain in his chest and more blood stream into his mouth. He spit it out, trying his best to formulate words as he forced his fading eyes open, wanting to see her. "…I…love……you…" His voice had fallen to cracks and bloody whispers.

Kirei had already known it, but his words confirmed it for her. Sasuke was going to die. She let out another sob, eyes closing tightly as she cried before opening them again, wanting to look into those depthless black eyes that she wouldn't get to see for much longer. "I love you, too." Her watery voice cracked as her hands tightened around his ever growing cold hand, her chest tightening.

The Uchiha's eyes slipped shut for mere moments, mouth opening as if he'd already gone. But his mind, his slowly beating heart made his eyes open, made his ever slipping life come back. He wasn't going to let go until he heard her say it. He knew the answer; he only wanted to hear it from her. Then, he could finally let go.

Low and pale black eyes remained with blue, his voice nothing more than blood and cracks as he asked her. "…Ki…rei…" His eyes fluttered, as if wanting to shut, but returned to their low state. "…will…yo…u…" Just as before, his crimson stained lips did their best to smile at her. "…marry…m-me…?"

Blue eyes stared at his, wasting no time in answering. With heavy sobs, she nodded, a smile shown through her tears. "Yes!" She cried, her tears meeting his now cold hand. "Yes…"

The smile on his face never faded, body relaxing as his eyes closed one last time. He didn't have to bear this pain anymore. He could finally let go.

Kirei's breathing nearly stopped when she felt his hand go limp. Her eyes had since closed from her tears, but snapped open to look at her beloved. He couldn't leave her. Not after that. "Sasuke?" She called to him with a sob, seeing his eyes closed. Her breathing quickened when he didn't answer, eyes widening.

As she let it go, his hand fell from her face, falling limply to blood covered floor beside him.

Her sobs lessened, breathing erratic as she looked him over, leaning closer and setting her hands on his bloody body. "_**Sasuke**_!" She shook him, not caring that she became stained with his blood. "Wake up!" She sobbed, tears falling onto his face as she stared into closed black eyes. "_**Please**_!" She begged him. "You've got to wake up! Please!" Her eyes closed as she continued to shake him, trying to wake her beloved that wasn't coming back.

Kirei hadn't realized it, too absorbed in her Prince that a shadow loomed over her, watching the two with teary black eyes. "Kirei, stop." Itachi commanded softly, kneeling and removing the blonde's hands. He reached out to his younger brother's cold face, pushing away his bangs as he sniffled and lifted the heavy body from the ground with one hand.

He knew that if he left right now, while his brother was still bleeding, still alive, there was a chance he could make it. There was hope.

"I can't take you with me," He spoke quickly, other hand holding the now comatose Sannin who would never wake again. "but I can try to save Sasuke. Sakura wasn't too far behind. Wait for her." With the remaining chakra he had, he teleported back to Konoha, hoping with all he had that everything would be okay.

Kirei's watery blue eyes watched him leave, she remaining in the pool of her beloved's blood. She didn't bother to wipe the blood from her face, eyes lowering to the floor – to the crimson stain that was all that was left of her Sasuke.

* * *

As Itachi said, Sakura arrived in the room moments later, all color draining from her face when she saw the blood soaked blonde sitting there, staring blankly at the pool she sat in.

"Oh god," She cried, rushing over to Kirei and kneeling in front of her, examining her. "are you okay?!" She asked, trying to figure out where all this blood had come from.

There was no reply from the Namikaze, tears still falling from her face. She simply looked up to the rosette, defeated and lifeless blue eyes meeting green.

Sakura looked back in shock, having never seen that look on the blonde's face. She'd never, not once in her life, see her look so broken. "…" Tearing her eyes away, unable to look into them any longer, she pulled a small white cloth out from her back pouch.

Turning back toward Kirei but refraining from looking into those eyes, she began to wipe away the tears and blood from her cheeks. She slowly realized the blood didn't belong to Kirei. And if it wasn't Kirei's, there was only one other person it could belong to.

The blonde's lower lip began to quiver, eyes slowly closing tight as she began to cry, not knowing what else to do. There was nothing else to do. Sasuke was nearly dead and now, he was gone, she unable to know what was going on. Was he alive? Would he be alive when she got home?

Sakura pulled her hand away, a deep feeling setting within her heart. It told her the one thing that could make Kirei cry like this; Sasuke was nearly dead…or dead. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes as well and threw the cloth away. "It'll be okay…" She tried to console the blonde, pulling her into a hug and letting the Namikaze cry against her, gripping her shirt tightly. "It'll all be okay…"

She may have spoken them, but Sakura didn't even believe her own words.


	21. Hideaway

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes: _I feel like I'm always apologizing to you guys for making you wait so long xD This time, though, the wait was a bit intentional, and something unexpected happened. I recentely got a new laptop and spent quite a few FULL days transfering all of my files, music, pictures, documents, etc. over to this new laptop and I also had to get used to Windows 7 and the new keypad. Anyway, I did finish Fact Vs. Fiction, and for now, this will be my last Naruto fanfiction. Don't worry, I'll always keep writing, but now I've got to do something new. Sometimes, change is good. :)

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 21 – Hideaway_

* * *

Tsunade let out a very tired and depressed sigh as she walked down the white hallway of Konoha Hospital, going to see her first patient for the day. She was tired because she'd spent all night talking with her grandson about how his father was slowly, very slowly getting better and sad because of the other person they had talked about: Kirei.

Her heels clicked against the tile, brown eyes meeting the very blonde she was just thinking about. "Good morning, Kirei." She greeted her granddaughter, a saddened smile on her face, voice very soft.

As with every morning for the past two weeks, Kirei was seated right across from her first patient's room, sitting on the floor with her right arm laced around her new crutch.

This morning was no different. She looked up to her grandmother, blue eyes clearly exhausted, her voice soft. "Morning, Granny." As soon as she'd responded, her eyes closed and head lowered, as if she was trying to sleep.

Another sigh escaped the older blonde's lips, not upset with her granddaughter, but upset with how she'd been living and acting. Every day for the past two weeks, ever since he arrived here, she would be right there, refusing to go into his room, but sitting outside, waiting. She'd be there first thing in the morning and until the last minute of visiting hours, when Naruto came to pick her up, never moving from that spot but refusing to do anything otherwise.

"Honey," She began, concern in her voice as she knelt before Kirei, trying to catch her eyesight. "You don't have to come here every day and wait for hi – "

The blonde's eyes didn't open, nor did she pick up her head. Only her hand moved, raising and stopping her grandmother. "Yes I do." She answered, softly but adamantly. "Waiting for him is the least I can do."

There was a certain tone in her dear granddaughter's voice that made Tsunade let it go. Her words convinced her, but that manner in which she said it made her completely drop it. "Okay, sweetie." She caved, still trying to catch blue eyes. "If you need anything at all, let me know." She knew she'd get nothing out of the blonde, but felt a little better in saying it.

Kirei remained silent, breathing even as she lowered her hand and nodded.

With another, more defeated sigh, Tsunade stood and walked away from her granddaughter, quietly going into the room to allow some sleep to come to the tired blonde. Before speaking to the raven who'd been awake for only a day, she grabbed the chart hanging on the back of the door that was left by the nurse during the night.

Looking it over and flipping the first page back, she began to walk further into the room, brown eyes glancing up to see Sasuke sitting up in his bed. She offered a small smile as she stopped by the corner of the bed. "Feels good to be back, doesn't it?" She asked, looking back down at the chart.

Letting his eyes slip shut for a moment, he nodded, small smile on his face. "Yes, it certainly does." He raised his hand to run his hand through his bangs in instinct, but very quickly winced in pain and returned it to his side. "Damnit," He mumbled, face scrunched up in pain. "I keep forgetting I can't do that…"

Brown eyes swiftly returned to the raven, eyebrow raising. "You're feeling pain?" She asked incredulously, knowing just how many painkillers the Uchiha was taking.

He nodded if only slightly. "Just a little here and there." He answered honestly, not minding the pricks and tinges he felt on his chest. "It's just the meds taking effect, that's all." He assured. "I don't mind it."

Tsunade's eyebrow lowered, but the skepticism remained in her eyes. She was certain, almost completely certain he wasn't feeling pricks and tingles but jabs and stinging instead. Although, if he really wanted to deal with the pain, so be it. She didn't mind if he wanted to appear strong for everyone who had worried about him. "You know," She began, thinking about a particular blonde who was still worried about him. "she's out there again today."

Sasuke didn't need to ask who Tsunade was talking about. He already knew. "Yeah, I figured she was." He answered, having already been told that his beloved Princess had been coming to the hospital every day since he'd arrived and would stay the entire day, sitting outside.

"You need to do something about it, Sasuke." The worried grandmother spoke rather sternly, flipping another page on the chart and examining it. "She's completely exhausted. I don't think she's slept a day since you've been here."

The Uchiha sighed heavily, resisting the urge to raise his hand and run it through his bangs again. "I honestly don't doubt that, Tsunade." He agreed, remaining silent for a few moments afterward to gather his thoughts. "If I hadn't been in a coma, I wouldn't've slept either. I know she's worried about me," He spoke softly. "but, I know how hard it is for her to see someone she loves in the hospital. I don't want her to force herself to come see me, especially when I couldn't assure her that everything's going to be okay." Black eyes darted away to the floor, before quickly returning to brown eyes. "I only want to see her when I can walk out of this room, hold her as tight as possible and tell her with my own voice that everything is going to be all right from now on."

It was really odd to the Uchiha, not to say those words, but to say such passionate words about Kirei to someone – especially a family member's face – and not look away from them. He had always done that before when he spoke about how much he loved her, as if he were embarrassed and shy to speak something that made him seem soft. Now, after he'd proposed and gotten an answer, he didn't feel that way at all. It was as if Kirei's answer gave him the confidence to not worry about what others thought about him; all he had to worry about was what his Princess thought about him and her answer gave him that.

Tsunade was looking at the chart below her, but she certainly wasn't reading it. Her ears had heard the love and conviction in the Uchiha's words, bringing a smile to her face and a warm feeling to her heart. When she had heard that he demanded Kirei not be let into the room, she was furious with him; the reason why she acted so cold. But to know this, to know it was simply Sasuke wanting to relieve her granddaughter of extra pain and stress she didn't need out of love made all of her frigidness disappear.

Doing her best to hold back a huge grin to tip him off, she returned the papers to their original position on the chart and set it back in the bin at the end of the bed. She then looked to the Uchiha, who watched her movements. "I'll make this short and simple, Sasuke." She said, leaning on the edge of the bed and taking a deep breath. "You still need to be monitored by a doctor regularly, even though the wound has healed over. There's still a small amount of venom in your system that can cause that thin layer of skin to diminish and send you right back here, to square one."

Sasuke watched her, ruffling his eyebrows in confusion. Send him _**back**_ to the hospital? But he hadn't been cleared to leave his bed for at least another week! ….Unless….

"You'll still need painkillers for a good while, so I suggest you come see me whenever you run out." Her smile still remained small, she doing her hardest to hold it back. "You lost a lot in that attack, Sasuke. Muscle included. No heavy lifting, no missions, nothing strenuous, do you understand?"

The raven blinked first, trying to make sure his doctor was completely and totally serious about letting him leave weeks before he was supposed to. When it became apparent that she was, he nodded in understand.

"Good." She grinned, crossing her arms in an almost playful mood. "Now get your ass out of bed and go see my granddaughter."

* * *

For almost the fifth time in the last four minutes, Kirei slightly opened her tired blue eyes in some effort to stay awake. It wasn't easy, seeing as how she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a long, very long time, but she didn't want to sleep.

Falling asleep meant that if Sasuke were to walk out, she'd miss it. She'd miss seeing her beloved for the first, real time since last August, nearly a year ago. It wasn't that he'd just go home – no, he'd surely wake her up – but she wanted to show him that she could wait for him. That she could do something as selfless, as loving as he did two weeks ago.

But it wasn't as easy as she first thought.

When she moved back into the Manor for the time being and first begun to visit him outside of his room, the plan seemed easy enough. Stay at the hospital every day, all day, staying awake to not miss him. However, she didn't even realize she wouldn't be sleeping at night either, and that was the major flaw. Without sleeping at all, night or day, she found that it was harder and harder for her to stay awake.

However, even if she was falling asleep, she would return to the Hospital every day. Kirei could not sit around – or even sleep – and wait anywhere that wasn't close to Sasuke. It would drive her insane, knowing he was just a few blocks away from her.

Blue eyes opening once more, they focused on nothing in particular, her thoughts slow thanks to a tired mind. She could hear all the usual sounds of a hospital; the voices of the nurses over the intercom calling doctors, the sound of gurneys being driven passed her and the sounds of heart monitors and oxygen tanks from the other rooms had all become droning to Kirei.

She was still afraid of Hospitals, still quite afraid to see her loved one's in the hospital, but somehow found it in her to come every day. She wasn't sure if it was her love or her want for Sasuke driving her, but she didn't care. So long as in the end she got to see him, she was happy.

Eyes closing once again – and for the final time that day, possibly – her mind became blank of all thoughts, her breathing deep and even. Kirei was being lulled to sleep by the sounds she once feared.

Just as she thought she'd drifted off to sleep, the blonde very suddenly picked up her head, body tensing slightly as her eyes opened, looking to the door across from her.

In the midst of the monotonous sounds around her, there was a soft, but noticeable click. A click of a door being opened and, if she heard correctly, her grandmother wasn't the one opening the door.

Blue eyes watched the handle fall like a hawk, heart hoping with all she had left it was Sasuke who was opening the door. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up; it had only been two weeks and he was nearly dead when he arrived. It would be a good month before he was even walking. But she continued to hope, since, well, she could, couldn't she?

The door opened with an exaggerated slowness, not revealing who exactly was opening it until it was already a fourth of the way opened.

Blue eyes met with black immediately, as if he already knew where she was, her mouth dropping open in a slight smile of disbelief, eyes blinking away tears.

Sasuke beat her to a smile, walking out of the doorway and nodding to her, confirming what he knew she was thinking.

Kirei let out a half sigh, half sob of relief, she doing her best to scramble to her feet, using her right crutch and left leg to push herself to her feet, hand holding the wall behind her just in case. Eyes never leaving his for a moment, smile never fading, she hobbled across the hallway to meet him, going as fast as she could with a crutch and one good leg. But it wasn't fast enough for her, the blonde throwing her crutch to the ground and hopping on one foot to her Sasuke.

After what seemed like forever, she reached him, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could, burrowing her face into his chest like she always used to do, letting few tears slip from her eyes and stain his shirt.

Closing his arms around her as well, Sasuke nuzzled the top of her head, closing his eyes and wincing as he did so. It felt….so amazing, so right to have her right here, in his arms again. And he was not, under any circumstance, going to let her go for a long, long time.

Sensing his sudden flinch, Kirei stiffened and quickly pulled away from his chest. She wanted to be held so bad, but had gone and forgotten all about his wound and caused him even more pain!

The Uchiha did not let her get very far from him, not even a few inches were spared between them, his grip pulling her right back to him, no matter how much it hurt. He didn't care. So long as she stayed right there, where he could hold her for the rest of time, he didn't care if he was dying the most painful death one could imagine.

Kirei tried once more to pull away, almost setting her hands on him and pushing away, but felt his hands grip her shirt and her hair, arms tight around her frame and realized, he wanted to hold her as much as she wanted to be held. With more gentleness than the last time, she moved closer to him, hands wrapping around and gripping the shirt above his shoulders, face burrowed into his chest.

With a large smile on his face, he nuzzled the crown of her head once more, eyes still closed, taking a deep breath of his Princess, remembering and loving how she smelt, even if it was a little different now.

Many minutes passed before either one moved or spoke, Kirei crying softly against him, Sasuke nearly doing the same.

"I want to go away." The Namikaze spoke with the softest, watery voice she had, making sure only he could hear it. "Just me and you and no one else." Her voice cracked.

The raven held no protest, allowing himself to crouch slightly to bring his lips to her ear so only they could hear. "Where?" He asked, kissing her gold locks.

"I don't care." She cried softly, shaking her head against him. "I just want you there with me."

Sasuke released his beloved only slightly, bringing her dearly missed blue eyes to look into his black eyes, wanting her to believe him when he spoke. "I am _**never**_ leaving you again."

Tsunade watched from the crack of the open door, smile wide on her face as her granddaughter and soon to be grandson-in-law shared the first kiss they'd had in nine months.

* * *

Standing in the kitchen of the loft he once called home, phone in his hand, Sasuke took a moment to think back, to relive everything that had happened within the last day. He had to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

After everything that transpired, all of the torture, sadness, depression and doubt, to have an ending like this…a happy ending, didn't seem all that plausible. Sasuke had brief moments where he believed he was somehow in a coma and just dreaming.

His black eyes blinked back into focus, looking at the hotel reservations in his hands, smile coming onto his face.

He certainly was not dreaming this; a vacation far away from the reaches of Konoha with just his blonde. Just him and Kirei, spending as much time as they wanted together. Sure the hotel was expensive, to the point where, if everything hadn't happened, he would've never spent this much on a vacation, but because it did happen, because he almost lost everything so dear to him, Sasuke didn't care how much he spent.

There wasn't a price on happiness.

"Hey." A soft, sweet voice called from the entrance of the kitchen, a large smile on her face. It was so nice to see him in her kitchen again; let alone just seeing him.

Before dialing the number to confirm the reservations, the raven turned to her voice, smiling as well when he saw her. Just as she thought, it was so nice to see her, home and smiling again. "Good afternoon." He chuckled, walking over to his sleepyhead Princess who had slept well into the afternoon.

Her cheeks beginning to hurt because she honestly hadn't smiled so much in such a long time, Kirei giggled, leaning on the doorframe to relieve her right underarm from her crutch. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Can you finish packing up?"

Setting both the reservations and his phone down on the table, Sasuke walked over to his beloved blonde and took her crutch from under her arm, leaning it against the side of the wall. "Of course I can." He answered her, smiling when she reached her right arm out to him to stabilize herself. With his left hand, he slipped it under her right arm, reaching around her back as he knelt and swept his Princess right off her feet.

Kirei couldn't help but laugh, her arm laced around his broad shoulders, head leaning towards his as he walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She would've told him he didn't have to carry her, but knew in her heart that he wanted to carry her since he hadn't in such a long time.

"You don't worry about anything but your shower." Sasuke told her, making sure to be extra gentle as the side against him was her injured side. "I'll finish packing and call to confirm the reservations."

Being carried into once hers, now their bedroom, Kirei huffed, pouting her lip just a little. She didn't find it fair at all that he had to do everything to get them ready to go on vacation and she did nothing, but knew it was futile to protest. Sasuke was dead set on doing everything he could for her.

Kirei honestly believed that if he could, Sasuke would breathe for her. "Okay. I'll be up here." She replied as he walked into the bathroom, being careful as he placed her back on her feet. "You won't mind bringing my crutch back up here, would you?" Since of course, he left it downstairs in the kitchen.

He play pouted at her, tilting his head slightly. "And here I thought I was going to help you instead."

She did her best to stifle her laughter, although she ending up laughing and falling into her Prince. "No…" She continued to laugh, a sigh escaping her mouth when she felt a pair of hands play with her hair. "I'll be okay on my own." She looked up to him, almost laughing once more.

He was pouting again, black eyes rather sad when they met hers.

She resisted laughing as best she could, knowing he was only doing it to make her laugh. "It won't be long, I promise." Doing her best to stand on her tip toes with her weak leg, she kissed him, smiling when he held her waist and picked her up slightly, relieving the stress on her leg.

Sasuke set his forehead against hers when they broke apart, black eyes boring into blue that he'd sorely missed. "I'll hold you to that." He joked, setting her back on her feet gently.

Smiling, she shook her head at him. "Okay, time for you to go." She shooed him from the bathroom, holding onto the sink as she did so.

With extreme slowness he left the small bathroom, glancing back to his Kirei to make sure she was smiling and smiled when he found she was. "I'm going." He replied happily, finding it so odd how just one night, one night with his beloved made him this happy.

Yeah, there were still problems with both of them. There were times when he remembered how he felt back then and he was sure she still had bad memories. He could see it deep within her eyes. He could also see the weird way she acted at times and hoped with all his heart they wouldn't turn into long lasting mental problems for her. But they could deal with all their problems when the time came for it. For now, all that mattered was being together and being happy.

Sasuke continued to walk, almost reaching the bedroom doorway before something his beloved said held him back.

She poked her head out from the doorway, toothless smile on her face, which was extremely unlike her. "Thanks," She spoke, her voice oddly different than he was used to hearing. "Uchiha."

Before his mouth could even drop open, she was gone, the door of the bathroom hiding her from view. Never once, not even when they had first met did Kirei refer to him as "Uchiha". Not even in that tone of voice that sounded…oddly familiar, yet unfamiliar.

Shaking his head to forget about it, the raven tried to erase it from his mind as he walked back downstairs. Maybe this was something she picked up from Orochimaru. That bastard always called him Uchiha and now, since she'd been with him for so long, she was starting to call him that.

It seemed like a plausible reason, but still….as Sasuke continued to walk into the kitchen, eyes landing on the crutch of his Namikaze, a very sure feeling of doubt clouded his heart.

* * *

As she began to towel her hair dry, leaning against the wall to do so, Kirei sighed softly. It felt incredible to take a shower after not being able to take one in a very long time and although it felt nice, there was just something off.

She couldn't really explain it, stepping out of the shower gingerly, since it was just a feeling in her stomach. Something…about herself just didn't feel right. It wasn't as if she were sick – no, she felt fine – it was just as if…she wasn't herself.

Shrugging her shoulders as she wrapped up her hair and grabbed another towel for her body, wrapping herself in it, she let the thought slip from her mind. If she couldn't explain it, why should she even think about trying to explain?

It's not like it mattered anyway, since in a few hours, she'd be miles away from here and in paradise with her love.

Hobbling out of the bathroom, the blonde smiled slightly when she found her crutch waiting for her, perched up against the wall beside her. Taking it, she placed it under her arm and continued to walk to her vanity, eyes watching the floor to make sure she wouldn't slip on any of the miscellaneous items on her messy floor.

When she reached her vanity, she leaned her crutch against it and sat down on the stool, making sure she had extra room should her legs need it. As she looked downward, though, her smile slowly faded. Did her legs seem a little…paler? Or was that just her?

Shaking her head to get rid of the thought and effectively shaking loose the towel from her hair, it falling to the floor in a heap, Kirei pegged it as her just being paranoid.

But when she looked up into the mirror in front of her, the Namikaze knew she wasn't paranoid.

Seeing one yellow eye and a streak of black hair against her own, she screamed as loud as she could.

* * *

Closing and setting down his phone after confirming the reservation, Sasuke felt pretty accomplished. He'd finished all the packing that needed to be packed and made sure the room he requested would be ready when they arrived at the resort in a few hours.

Everything was going smoother than he could ever hope for.

At least until he heard the scream of his beloved.

The raven wasted no time bolting from the room and up the stairs, bursting into the bedroom with a worried mind, his heart ready to explode. "Ki...rei?" His voice faded rather quickly, eyebrows creasing as his eyes scanned the room quickly.

He found no blonde in the room.

The vanity seat and her crutch were knocked to the floor, which meant that she was out of the shower, but where was she?

"Princess?" He asked softly, heart still beating rather quickly. This didn't have anything to do with her calling him Uchiha, did it? Eyes landing on the closed bathroom door, he certainly hoped not. He wasn't sure if he could deal with yet another depressing moment, especially now that Kirei was back home.

The raven walked over to the bathroom door with a certain urgency and gently rapped on it with his knuckles. "Kirei?" He asked, not wanting to go in and startle her but make sure she was all right. He'd never heard her scream like that before. "Are you all right?"

There was no answer.

If she just couldn't hear him and only screamed because she whacked her leg, he knew opening the door would make her extremely angry with him. Yet, he set his hand on the door and turned the knob. He had to make sure she was okay. He couldn't just let it go and allow his mind to constantly wonder until he saw her again.

As soon as the door was open, he heard the very familiar sobs of his Kirei and almost threw it open, rushing inside. Black eyes landed on her immediately, she still wrapped in only a towel, face buried into her knees, arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

"Kirei," He began softly, confused as to what happened. If she'd gone and whacked her leg, why was she in such a position? "What's wrong?" He knelt beside her, tilting his head in an effort to catch her sight.

She remained silent, backing up into the wall in an effort to get away from him.

He narrowed his eyes at her in confusion, still kneeling. Something wasn't right, especially if she were backing _**away**_ from him. "Look at me." The raven demanded, feeling his heart beat faster, waiting to see those blue eyes that would tell him everything was okay.

Her sobs died down before she did as he told, lifting her head and opening her eyes to look at him.

His black eyes were not met with blue eyes.

Black streaks of hair framing her almost white face, yellow eyes looked into black, a wicked smile forming on her lips. "I'm back," Kirei's voice was no longer her own. "Sasuke-kun."

* * *

Not knowing what else to do, Sasuke quickly had Kirei change while she was still herself and rushed her to the Hospital and the only two people he hoped could help.

Sakura was the first of the two he found and nearly screamed when she saw the blonde turning raven. Before even trying to find Tsunade, she ushered them upstairs, to a more private room. "It's going to be okay," She tried to assure both of them as she made Kirei sit in the only chair in the room. Then, with a small smile and the most comforting eyes she had, she fastened the leather straps on the chair and backed away. "I promise. These are for your own safety, okay, hun?"

Yellow eyes looked square into green, her face an absolute blank before it tilted and her body twitched. Slowly, the blank look on her face turned into a scowl, body continuing to move and jerk against the straps.

Sakura sighed heavily, expecting that much of a reaction. Looking over to Sasuke, her face fell slightly.

He was watching Kirei with wide black eyes, mouth almost dropped completely open in a mix of fear and shock, body stiff and rigid. Sasuke couldn't, he wouldn't, believe that the person he loved most was turning into the person he most feared.

Knowing words wouldn't convince him, Sakura took his arm and pulled him away from her with little effort, taking him into a conjoining room with a one way mirror so they could at least see what was going on. "Sasuke." She began, seeing that he was still watching here with that shocked look. "Sasuke!" She yelled, punching the Uchiha with enough force to wake him up, but not enough to hurt him.

"This can't be happening." He answered her with a very unfamiliar broken voice, his eyes still watching his beloved thrash in the chair. "It's…" The raven's words fell short.

Green eyes closed sadly, her hand reaching out and setting itself on his shoulder as the other paged the only other person who knew what to do.

Second passed before Tsunade appeared on the other side of Sasuke, her eyes tired, voice rather upset. "I'm on my break, Sakura. What do you – " Just like Sasuke's, her voice fell horribly short when her brown eyes saw her granddaughter, her only granddaughter thrashing against the straps of the chair in the other room. "Oh god." She didn't know what else to say, her hands rising to her mouth.

Sasuke knew he shouldn't ask, since he knew he'd regret the answer, but gulped thickly and found it in him to speak. "What's happening to her?" His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Tsunade sighed just as Sakura had before, one hand lowering to her side, the other rubbing her face and continuing through her hair. "I know it's hard to grasp, Sasuke," She began, feeling horrible for the raven. With everything finally starting to look up, this had to happen. "but…Kirei's….turning into Orochimaru."

Black eyes met with brown in a flash, face alarmed and in denial. "But that…" He began, thinking about how it was impossible, literally, to turn into another person. Sure, Kirei really looked like the Sannin and her voice sounded like his….but she couldn't be turning into him! He looked back to his Princess…or what she used to be. "That's impos – "

"It happened with Karin, too." Sakura cut him off, trying to make him understand. "Orochimaru used some way of infecting them with his DNA….and whenever it would activate, it would take over the body in which it existed." She tried to explain, hoping it made sense to him. "If we don't act now…she'll turn into him completely."

"Sasuke, do we have your permission – " Tsunade began, looking directly at him even though he wasn't looking at her.

"Yes." He answered quickly, nodding to confirm it further. "You have my permission to do whatever you need to do." Sasuke didn't need to know what it was right now, when her life was hanging in the balance. He had enough faith in both Tsunade and Sakura to know that everything would be okay.

Sakura and Tsunade shot a look to each other, both already knowing what they had to do. "We're going to have to _**shock**_ her, Sasuke." Tsunade told him, setting a hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eye. "Are you sure – "

Black eyes drew away from their beloved to look adamantly into hers. "I'm absolutely sure." He answered, nodding just once. He gave her a look, a knowing look, and turned away from the two Doctors, heading to the door. Without a second look or doubt in his heart, he walked into the room where his beloved once was.

Sakura looked to her mentor first, then to Sasuke and back to Tsunade, worry plain on her face. "Should we really let him – "

The elder blonde took a deep breath, her mind telling her that Sasuke shouldn't be allowed so close, yet her heart telling her that he had to be there. He wanted to be there. "Yes," She nodded, watching as the Uchiha grabbed Kirei's hand and knelt beside her. "He'll be fine. Don't worry so much about him. Let's just get this over with."

She knew, seeing it in his face and knowing how much the Uchiha loved her granddaughter that he was simply sharing what he couldn't before. When Orochimaru was actually alive and Kirei was with him, there was no way Sasuke could share her pain, shoulder some of the burden. Now that she was home, he wasn't going to let her bear it on her own.

No matter what it was, he was going to be there with her every step of the way.

"Go ahead and activate the seals on the chair, Sakura." Tsunade told her, not wanting to electrify her granddaughter, but knew, if she didn't, she wouldn't have a granddaughter anymore.

It took all Sasuke had not to look or shy away from Kirei, let alone kneel there next to the person she was turning into. All his life, ever since that day as a child, he'd feared the Snake Sannin and any snake close to him. He knew it wasn't Orochimaru he was really kneeling next to, but he couldn't help but be afraid, body shaking slightly, eyes shut, head turned downward. Even if he couldn't look at her, he could still hold her hand and go through this with her.

As his muscles tensed, the grip on his hand increasing and few small whimpers escaped his blonde's mouth, he knew they'd begun to shock her. He could feel the electric current through her hand, but it wasn't anything like what he thought it would be.

It wasn't slow, nor was it fast, but the tiny pulses going through his body began to increase along with the grip on his hand, Kirei's whimpers slowly turning to soft cries as she jerked and lashed out against the leather straps.

"…I will not…" Her warped voice spoke through her shrieks, half Orochimaru's, half her own, eyes closed. "…die! I will…" Kirei's voice slowly began to show through, the electricity increasing with every second past. "…return…"

Sasuke's eyes were shut tight, not wanting to see the bastard that did this to his blonde and out of pain. The grip on his hand was painful, but it was nothing like the flow of electricity that currently pulsed through his body, making every muscle and organ sting in pain.

Tsunade and Sakura watched from the one way mirror, keeping a cautious eye on the blonde who thrashed and screamed with each increase of the dial in Sakura's hand. They couldn't let any movement go unnoticed, for if they gave too much electricity, it could permanently harm Kirei. Yet, if they didn't give her enough, Orochimaru would come right back.

And that was something no one needed right now.

Letting out a shaky sigh out of fear and pain, Sasuke kept his eyes closed tight, the grip on the hand that he held even tighter. He didn't know what was happening or if Kirei was able to know he was there, but still held her hand as tight as he could, wanting her to know he was right there beside her.

He didn't care about the pain it caused him. He didn't care how long he'd have to stay there. No matter how long it took, Sasuke was going to stay right beside his beloved to make sure she knew she was okay. It was the least he could do for coming to her rescue so late.

Just as he began to wonder how long this could go on – because he knew better than anyone that Orochimaru wouldn't go down with a fight – the pulses coming through the tiny hand that he held began to weaken and within seconds, stopped. He didn't open his eyes for fear it didn't work, but creased his eyebrows. "It's over?" He asked himself in a soft tone.

Not a minute had passed before the door to the conjoining room opened. "Yes," Tsunade said in a relieved tone, having just seen the Uchiha's question from the mirror. "It's over."

The raven kneeling on the floor looked up to the elder blonde, eyes now open, looking into hers with a look of disbelief. His mouth opened, but he couldn't speak, voice caught in his throat as the hand in his twitched and jerked.

Black eyes finally looked back to his Princess, black hair missing from her head, eyes closed as tight as his had been. She continued to twitch and jerk, still feeling pulses of electricity until they slowly died down and she rested peacefully in the chair. "…What's…" Her head rolled toward the voices she heard, confused as to where she was now, eyes opening just a sliver. Wasn't she at home in her room? "…over?"

His face in further disbelief and now confusion, Sasuke looked back to Tsunade for answers.

The elder Namikaze walked over to her granddaughter in silence, taking her opposite hand and checking her pulse, making sure everything was okay. "Karin didn't remember either…I think it's an effect of the…" Brown eyes looked to black, hoping he would understand.

He looked into those eyes for a moment, trying to think this all out. So Orochimaru at one point or another had done something to Kirei so that whenever he activated it…she would turn into him. That made sense, seeing as how it was almost like a snake shedding its skin; Kirei was just a new skin for him to possess and live on.

The electrifying, obviously enough, had gotten rid of his…possession and hadn't really affected his blonde all that much, but she didn't seem to remember anything. Sasuke could only reason that why she didn't remember was because of the two people fighting for control of one body. The mind was so overloaded, when Orochimaru had begun to take over, she'd forgotten everything from that point on.

But now, it was all over. Everything was over. Orochimaru no longer existed and finally, after nine months apart, he and Kirei could finally move on with their lives.

He smiled just a little bit, loosening the tight grip on her hand and stood, moving to her side and kissing her forehead to reassure her. "It's okay," He began, hoping she wouldn't pursue the subject now or later. "I'm right here with you."

Kirei blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to open more with each blink and looked up to her love, still feeling pricks and pings in her body. "Okay." She smiled softly, trusting her Uchiha with all her heart. If he said it was okay, she believed him.

With a smile as well, Tsunade began to undo the straps that held her granddaughter to the chair, unafraid of Orochimaru coming back. He would've already tried in these few seconds if he existed anymore. After all, she knew from Naruto that the Sannin was officially executed this morning, so now, after a long, very long time, no one had to worry anymore. "Why don't you two head home and get some sleep? I'm sure you're tired."

Kirei looked over to her grandmother, not even sure that's who it was. "Yeah," She mumbled almost incoherently, eyes closing. "I'm…so……..sleepy…" She didn't understand why she was tired. She didn't even understand why her grandmother was in her loft. All she knew was that her body and mind were so very exhausted…as if she'd just finished one of her math finals and ran a marathon.

Smiling at how cute she always was when she was tired, Sasuke didn't bother to move her out of the chair before picking her up. "Thank you," He looked to Tsunade first, eyes portraying how thankful he was to her before flicking off to the now opening door. "Both of you." He found Sakura standing there, a smile placed on her face.

She was smiling, green eyes looking into black. "You're welcome." She answered, able to see that piece of him that had been missing for so long in his eyes. "Now go home and get some sleep. You both need it."

For the first time in a long time, Sasuke smiled, teeth and all. "You can count on it." With a nod to both doctors, he teleported off, ready and willing to take a nice long nap with his Princess.

Also smiling, Tsunade walked over to her apprentice and continued out of the room with her. "Everything's back to normal, I guess."

Walking down the hallway beside the blonde, Sakura half nodded. "Yeah…" She mumbled, knowing that it really wasn't.

Even if Kirei was back and both of them were happy, they still had a lot of problems to deal with. They still had to work with everything that happened and find some way to return to a normal life.

Despite this heavy…almost depressing feeling in her heart, Sakura could feel something in her heart tell her that they'd get through it. Out of anyone she knew, they were the ones strong enough to return to the lives they once had.

* * *

Feeling her blonde snuggle into her stomach, as he was using her lap as his pillow, Hinata smiled and resisted giggling, lifting up the book in her hands to look at the Hokage.

The sun had just set on such a wonderful day and because Orochimaru and Kabuto had both been swiftly executed, everyone felt that it was okay to return to their lives. After all, everybody had been living in the Manor since everything had begun almost a year ago.

His forehead completely buried in her stomach, Naruto curled up next to his beloved Hyuuga, mumbling in his sleep. "…love you…Hina…"

Folding down the corner of the page she was currently on, the blue haired closed her book and set it on the armrest beside her, smiling at her blonde. With soft and gentle fingers she played with golden locks, hoping her playing would make him sleep better. It always had that effect and with everything that had happened, everyone deserved some restful sleep. "I love you too, Naruto." She whispered, leaning down and kissing those yellow locks of his.

Sighing softly, the Hyuuga leaned back on the couch, letting her head rest on the back as her eyes closed. It was nice to be back in her home with just her blonde. She never minded spending nights at the manor with all their friends there, but moments like these – with just the two of them – were few and far between.

And it seemed like this would be one of those fleeting moments as Hinata's phone began to vibrate softly against the armrest.

Still caressing blonde locks with one hand, Hinata reached for her phone, first looking at the ID to see who it was. "…Sasuke?" She questioned, eyebrows creasing. Why in the world would Sasuke be calling her? Wouldn't he be spending time with Kirei? Nevertheless, she picked it up and flipped open the phone, holding it to her ear and speaking softly. "Sasuke?"

"Hi, Hinata."

Clear eyes blinked. Sure, Kirei was with Sasuke, but she certainly didn't expect to hear the younger blonde's voice. "Hi, honey." She answered, surprised but happy. It was a good sign if she wasn't afraid to talk to everyone she once knew. "Why are you – "

"We're going away." The blonde suddenly stated, cutting off the Hyuuga. "Well," She chuckled softly. "We're already away."

Hinata figured she meant a vacation of sorts, but creased her eyebrows slightly. "You mean a vacation?"

She couldn't see it, but the Namikaze nodded. "Yeah." There were a few moments of silence. "We don't know when we'll be back, Hinata."

The Hyuuga smiled, not looking to anything in particular. "You take as much time as you need."

There was a small giggle. "We plan on it. But only you know, Hinata. We don't want anyone else to know."

She understood. After last year's vacation and how it almost ruined more than one relationship, Hinata completely understood why Kirei and Sasuke had already left and didn't bother to tell anyone. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you so much." Kirei's smile could be heard through her words. "Go – " The blonde quickly cut herself off, not ever wanting to say that word. "See you eventually."

Hinata shared the blonde's smile. "Enjoy yourselves." When she heard a soft click, the Hyuuga closed her phone and set it aside, letting out a soft sigh.

Hearing his love talking to someone, Naruto nuzzled her tummy, awake if only slightly. "Who was that?" He mumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

Looking down at her blonde, the blue haired knew she couldn't give away anything. "Oh, no one." She answered softly, continuing her caresses and leaning down once more to kiss his forehead. "Go back to sleep."

He held no protest. "…okay..." It would be fairly easy, anyway, what with her touches and kisses slowly lulling him back to sleep.

A firm smile set upon her face, Hinata continued to watch her sleeping blonde, thoughts on another blonde a few hundred miles away from here by now.

It wasn't hard to guess that things wouldn't be regular for a while. Things for everyone, not just them, wouldn't be easy. They wouldn't be normal. But with enough hope, clear eyes set upon her beloved below her, smile on her face, things would go back to what they used to be.


	22. Scars

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ It's been a while, my friends. I know I haven't uploaded anything in a while, but I plan to change that eventually....I find that having a job and school is making it harder form me to get things done, let alone the fact that I can't keep focused! xD But don't worry. I won't ever stop writing because I would die without it. I feel so lost without writing right now, it's not even funny. Anyway, I do plan to finish up this story within the next month (upload wise) or so, so be prepared to end this journey. But don't stop believin! Hahahaha :) Enjoy the chapter :D

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 22 – Scars_

* * *

For what seemed like the hundredth time in only the last few minutes, Kirei yawned into her shoulder as she supported herself with her crutches and gently kicked open the door of her and Sasuke's suite, doing her best to make it inside before the door closed on her.

Standing behind her, Sasuke quickly set a bag down and reached a hand out, holding the door open so she didn't have to worry about it closing on her. "I think," He began as they made their way inside, smiling as Kirei stopped in shock to look at the room, another yawn emitting from her mouth. "it'd be best if we stayed in tonight."

She heard him, but she certainly wasn't looking at him. Blue eyes were too busy examining the gorgeous room in front of her. She'd never before seen a hotel suite and now knew why it was called a suite; it wasn't just a room and bathroom, like a normal hotel room. Right in front of her was a medium sized livening room, complete with a tv, couch, end tables and a coffee table. There was even a bouquet of red roses on the table, probably special ordered by a certain raven who was standing behind her.

From her stable position on her crutches, she could easily see part of the master bedroom and the lovely king sized bed inside it. There was also a small patio, leading out to a private Onsen for just the two of them.

Despite her excitement, the blonde yawned once more, still not understand why she was so tired – since she didn't really remember anything after her shower – but released one of her crutches and covered her mouth, nodding. "Yes," She agreed with her beloved now coming back from the master bedroom, their luggage missing from his hands. "I think so too." She knew better than going out when she was so tried, since she'd probably fall asleep halfway through dinner.

Chuckling as he walked up to her, black eyes meeting with hers almost immediately, Sasuke smiled and ran his hands through his blonde's hair, missing how it felt between his fingers. "Good," He said, kissing the crown of her head, eyes closing. "because we weren't going out anyway."

Kirei laughed slightly, smile wide on her face as he continued to run his hands through her hair, her eyes closed as well. She hadn't realized how much she missed the feeling. "I guess I didn't have a choice, huh?" Leaning forward slightly, she rested against him, knowing he wouldn't let her fall and relieving her underarms of pain.

He smiled, letting his arms wrapped around her shoulders and play with the hair resting on her back. "No, you didn't." He answered happily, kissing her head again. "but…why don't I unpack our stuff and you head to the lobby and get some dinner for us so you don't have to strain yourself?" He asked softly, not wanting his blonde to strain herself at all. He may have a partial hole in his chest, but it didn't hinder his movement.

Her smile wavered at the thought of dealing with other people, but still remained. "Thank you…" She said, loving how considerate he was of her when he was the one more injured. "But I'd rather unpack…I don't…" She bit her lip gently, trying to find the right words to explain how she felt. "I don't really…want to deal with people right now."

The raven sighed softly, resting his head on hers, fingers still playing with her hair. He really didn't want his blonde straining herself to move around too much…yet, she probably wasn't ready to be shoved out into the world again. Being in a room full of people when she hadn't had contact with more than three people for the last year wouldn't be very good for her. "Okay, Princess." He agreed, knowing he couldn't force her to do something she wasn't ready for. "But only if you unpack little things."

Her smile returned quickly, a pout forming on her lips as she huffed. She should've known he was going to baby her. "Only little things?" She asked in slight annoyance, slight playfulness. She may be on crutches, but she certainly wasn't helpless.

The Uchiha pulled away from her, a smile on his face as well. He knew she wouldn't like it, being babied after doing everything on her own for quite a while, but he was going to baby her whether she liked it or not. "Yes," He nodded, black eyes meeting with blue eyes and a pout. "only little things."

Despite her love for his concern, she was not going to be fussed over like this. "But – " She opened her mouth in protest, but quickly found it shut.

He kept his eyes with her, smile still on his face as he set a finger on her lips, shushing her. "I know you don't like it, but I don't want you straining yourself. The last thing I need is you getting hurt again." He spoke with a calm voice, but both knew he was serious.

Blue eyes narrowed, but never moved, her pout doing its best to stay a pout instead of turning into a smile as she huffed. She didn't like to be spoiled, but she had to admit she loved it when Sasuke cared for her like this.

He saw that smile showing through her pout and that look in her eyes and chuckled, removing his finger and kissing her sweetly. "I'll take that as an okay." He smiled, letting his hands run through her hair one last time.

Finally, Kirei's smile replaced her pout, shaking her head softly as she laughed quietly. But before she could even speak to him, her stomach growled, telling him exactly what he already knew.

Sasuke's smile grew a little more, hearing the growling and nodded to her, allowing her to stabilize herself before he moved. "I know, I know…" He began, trying not to laugh. "I'm going." Knowing he could trust her, he left the room, heading to the lobby to order a special dinner for just him and his Princess.

Unable to stop smiling, despite how bad her cheeks hurt, Kirei sighed softly in content, her hands gently resting on the handles of her crutches. It was nice to know that despite how different she was, Sasuke still treated her as if she was the same, as if he still really loved her.

With another yawn, the blonde shook her head, knowing he would always love her; she had no doubt about that. Smile plain on her face, Kirei turned and began hobbling to the master bedroom, ready and willing to get this wonderfully starting vacation started.

* * *

As he arrived to the door of their own private room, Sasuke was thankful that they'd arrived later than they normally planned. It was after dark when they arrived, almost all the other vacationers were out on the town, ordering their dinner in the restaurants that littered the snowy mountain town. Because of this, their dinner wouldn't take very long to make, nor bring to their room, making their night a very easy, enjoyable night.

Slipping into the room quietly, the Uchiha smiled when he heard the soft humming of his Princess and wondered just how far she'd gotten in unpacking only little things during the time he was gone. Knowing how good her hearing was – and that she probably knew he was there – he walked over to the doorframe, leaning on it as he watched his blonde.

One of her crutches had been set aside, resting against the bed as she stood by the suitcases, sifting through them to find little things that she only needed one hand to take. When she found a few pairs of her own socks in the bottom of the bag, she grabbed a couple and hobbled over to the dresser across from the bed and dropped them into the drawer, turned, and started the process over.

Sighing a normal, soft sigh, Kirei did hum softly to herself, not able to stand being in complete silence like she used to. She didn't care if it was silent before being at the base…but after being in a dungeon and room that was nothing but silent….the quiet unnerved her to the point where she actually felt afraid.

Stopping for a moment, the blonde's eyes drifted off into space, starting to think about all the things that had changed about her. It wasn't like she was different person – no, she still loved what she used to love – but things about her had changed, making her change. Sighing once more, the blonde hoped with all her heart that Sasuke would love those changes as much as he loved her.

Even if he'd only been with her for a few days, the raven leaning on the doorframe knew that look on Kirei's face. And he didn't like it. He knew when she was thinking about Orochimaru, doubting a lot about her and her life now and he detested it. After knowing she'd been upset for so long, he didn't want to see her like that anymore. He wanted to see her laugh and smile like she used to.

Knowing exactly how to get her to smile and laugh like she used to, Sasuke pushed off the doorframe and walked toward his blonde who had her back to him and extended his hand, smiling as he set it on her head to tousle her hair like he had done a thousand times before.

But things weren't as they used to be.

Suddenly feeling something set itself on the top of her head, Kirei's body jumped in shock and surprise, heart flying out of her chest as she screamed. Breathing quick and frantic, she turned to the raven behind her, keeping her eyes from his, her body starting to shake.

Blinking at her with wide, shocked, eyes, Sasuke's hand hung in midair for a moment or two before returning to his side, eyebrows knitted in complete confusion. "Ki – "

"Yo-you can't – can't do that a-anymore." She stuttered with the best voice she had, shaking her head back and forth in a rickety motion, body still trembling, eyes racing. "You can't sc-scare me like that."

Sasuke continued to stare at his blonde in shock, his mouth dropping open. He expected a jump because he was behind her, but he didn't expect a full out panic attack. "I'm sorry," He apologized with a confused voice, not sure of what else to do. He never thought one of the greatest things between them could scare her to the point of complete horror. "I won't scare you again, I promise."

Despite his apology, the blonde didn't stop trembling, nor did she move from her spot. She simply stood there, unable to look up to him, shaking.

"Kirei…" He began with a soft, unsure voice. "It's okay." He continued, feeling a little guilty as he opened his arms in a questioning hug. He really didn't mean to scare her like this. "It's…okay." He said softly, keeping his eyes on her own as he stepped toward her.

Still shaking, the blonde shook her head once again and took a step backward, eyes still very wide with fear. It's not that she didn't want to be held by her Prince – she really wanted to – but something in her mind was telling her it was all a trick. It was all a plot to get closer to her to hurt her like before. Close contact with others was not a good thing. Contact brought about bad things for her.

For once, Sasuke's face fell to sadness. When Kirei first came back, when he first saw her again, the raven hoped with all his heart that she wasn't mentally unstable like Karin had been when she returned, and for those couple days, it seemed like she wasn't. But seeing her like this, seeing how something as simple as touch scared her to death told Sasuke his hope had been forsaken. Kirei was worse than he thought. "Really, Princess…It's okay." He tried to assure, still holding his hug for her.

Still a step away from him, she finally raised her head, allowing her blue eyes to meet with those black eyes, their depths asking if it was true. She wanted so bad to be held by him, to have that contact she'd missed, but something was hindering her, telling her not to have contact anymore.

Yet something stronger was telling her to get closer.

Continuing to tremble, the Namikaze slowly extended her hands, reaching out to her Prince in hope that she could return his hug, her eyes closed. Her hands did reach him, gently gripping onto his shirt as she always did, but found that when she commanded her body to move closer, she did not. Her shaking body refused to move any closer to the Uchiha she loved.

It just didn't make any sense to her as she stood there, still trying to move. She wanted to be held, wanted to be close like they used to, when everything was normal, but no, she couldn't. Her body and mind wouldn't let her be close and be held like normal. They wouldn't let her get close to the person who meant the most to her. They wouldn't let her be normal anymore.

Seeing how confused she was, how she was physically unable to move any closer to him, Sasuke's face fell even more, realizing just how bad his beloved really was. Closing his eyes sadly, he slowly and gently pulled her into his arms, keeping them loose just in case she panicked again. "Shhhhh…." He tried to calm her, resting his head on hers as his hand rose to pet her golden locks.

As soon as she felt his hand on her head, the blonde in his arms flinched, her hands gripping his shirt tighter, body stiff as it could be.

"It's going to be okay, Kirei…" He whispered into her hair, noticing how with every pet and passing minute, she slowly began to relax.

"…No…" She mumbled softly, not agreeing with him in the least. "it's not." It wasn't okay, wasn't going to be okay if she couldn't even hug the person she loved. "I'm not…" She tried to explain, voice cracking from the forming tears before fading away. "I can't even hug you, Sasuke….I'm not…I'm not who I used to be anymore!" She cried against him softly, griping his shirt tighter.

He didn't want her to feel forced or freak out again, but he certainly was not going to let her do this to herself. Tightening his arms around her, he rested his hand on her hair, head on hers. "Of course not, Princess…" He agreed with her, if only slightly. "It's going to take time for you to return to who you were…to be like that again. It's not something that happens overnight, Kirei." He kept his voice soft. "It'll take some time and some effort…from both of us…"

She didn't want to hurt him, knowing his wound was right there, but the blonde burrowed her face into his chest, hands gripping his shirt tighter, not knowing what else to do. Kirei was at a complete loss as to what to do.

Pulling away from her slightly, Sasuke knelt to her level, allowing his black eyes to look into her on the verge of tears blue eyes, hands resting gently on her shoulders. "It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to be right there with you, every step of the way."

* * *

"So…" The rosette began as she stood with her good friends in the Lobby of the almost dead hospital. "Sai went back to prison?"

Sakura, Hinata, Naruto and Tsunade were currently standing together in a small group, conversing since the Hospital wasn't busy. It had been a rather slow day actually, so when the Uzumaki and Hyuuga showed up to see the Yondaime, the two doctors were thankful.

Still wearing his Hokage attire as he stood next to Hinata, Naruto nodded to his friend. "Yeah…for now…He's going to be released in the next few weeks, once all the paperwork is done." He explained, receiving an odd look from his grandmother and Sakura.

The Haruno understood his reasoning to a point; Sai had really helped them out during their pursuit of Orochimaru…but did he really deserve to be released after what he'd done to them? To the city itself?

Having previously been explained why, Hinata answered the confused looks. "I know what you're thinking," She began, looking to green and brown eyes. "because I thought the same thing. Even though he really helped us, does Sai really deserve to be released?" She asked, a small smile on her face, knowing that was exactly what they were thinking.

Sakura nodded in confirmation. "Yeah…I mean…he was nice to everyone and really helped….but…" She still had lingering doubts, like most everyone did.

"You're worried he'll pull the same crap again." Tsunade finished for her, knowing the rosette as if she were her daughter.

"I'm not." Naruto spoke up suddenly, bringing both of them too look to him for understanding. "Sure, I was…especially when I first saw him in the prison…" He began, closing his eyes and remembering the words that had convinced the blonde to allow Sai to walk "free" once more. "But after everything that happened, I think he deserves a second chance."

Green eyes watched the face of her Hokage, examining it. She would honestly know if Naruto was lying and it was obvious he wasn't. He honestly believed that Sai deserved a second chance and it certainly made sense to her.

Ever since Naruto had become Hokage and matured as much as he did in those months, he was much better at making important decisions and making sure that what he thought was right. He wouldn't do something should he not believe it. He'd grown from the hyperactive, knucklehead Ninja she once knew.

Before she or Tsunade could respond, the eldest blonde's eyes went wide, gasping rather loud. "Oh, my…god…" Her eyes were fixed behind her grandson and the Hyuuga, hands rising from her sides to cover her mouth.

Almost instantly, Sakura had the same reaction, begging Naruto and Hinata to turn and see what they were so shocked about.

Turning around, sky blue eyes that were a trademark of the Namikaze line locked instantly on the only other member of his immediate family, holding onto the wall as he stumbled out of the elevator. "_**Dad**_!!" He cried as loud as he could, rushing over to his father and helping him up.

Hinata, Sakura and Tsunade were not far behind.

His father's arm over his shoulders, Naruto stared in complete shock, mouth agape as he tried to tell himself this was real. His dad was awake. Not in a coma anymore. He was right there beside him, eyes open, tired smile trying to tell them he was okay.

Minato was thankful his son was there, helping him to stand because he honestly felt like he hadn't walked in months. He was pretty sure it'd only been a few days that he'd been asleep and he had things to do. "Where's Kirei?" He began, looking to the group huddled around him for answers, voice soft and scratchy. "Where's Orochimaru? Who's been running things?" There were so many things he needed to know.

Naruto shifted his weight, pulling gently on his father's arm to bring him a little closer, relieving the weight on his wobbly legs. "Don't worry about it, Dad." He spoke with a happiness none of the females had seen in a long time. "Everything's fine."

The Yondaime seriously doubted his son's words, yet felt as if everything was okay. Why would Naruto lie to him about something so important? "I guess it would be if I've only been out a few days…" He mumbled, eyes missing the incredulous looks he got as they shifted downward, to the floor.

Out of the four, Naruto and Hinata stared with the most incredulous look. A few _**days**_? That's all he believed passed? Well…he was in for quite a surprise when they got home. On the other hand, Sakura and Tsunade didn't look all that surprised. They had already figured that when the Yondaime woke from his coma, he wouldn't feel like much time had passed when it had.

At the silence he received, Minato looked to the small group around him, eyes low and tired. "I was only out for a few days, wasn't I?" He asked, receiving no answer. "And what's going on with Orochimaru? Do we know where he is?" He furthered his questions despite his tired mind. He was Hokage and it was his duty, sleepy and sore or not, to get things done.

Before anyone could reply to the Hokage and tell him that things were extremely different than he was thinking, the four began to notice they weren't the only ones who'd seen and heard the Yondaime. The few patients in the waiting area, nurses and a few other doctors had begun to poke their heads out of rooms and listen in, wondering if their Hokage really was back.

"Naruto…" Tsunade began, brown eyes looking around them cautiously. "I suggest you and Hinata take him home and make him rest. He may refuse it, but he needs to sleep and _**slowly**_ work back into things…all this and the coming attention won't help with that." She told him, eyes meeting his.

He nodded in understanding. "No problem, Granny." With a large grin and a look to Hinata, he teleported off, heading for home that, with his father beside him, felt a little more like home again.

* * *

"Naruto," Minato began as his son still held him up, voice a bit irritated. "tell me what's been going on." He had yet to have someone answer any of his questions.

Having teleported close to his father's room, Naruto remained silent, save for a small smile on his face. "Hina?" He asked, waiting for his Hyuuga beloved to arrive.

Appearing beside him, she was also smiling, knowing that her blonde was extremely happy to have his father back. "Yes, hon?" She asked, preparing to walk to Minato's other side and help her beloved blonde take care of him.

Blue eyes looked to hers, still disregarding his father's questions and grinned his trademark grin. "Why don't you go ahead and alert everyone about what's happened?" He wouldn't be able to do it, knowing he had to keep a keen eye on his father and make sure he actually slept.

She returned the smile, nodding. "Sure. I'll ask them to keep it quiet, too."

"Hinata, can you please tell me what's going on?"

"Thanks." Naruto replied, still ignoring his father's questions as he reached one hand for the doorknob and opening the door to his father's room. Suddenly he stopped, blinking and turning back to his beloved. "Oh, and tell them this too."

Her smile was still on her face, but it was more of a suspicious smile, eyebrows creasing slightly. "Yes?"

"Get their shit, clean the house and get the hell out." If it was possible, Naruto's grin was even wider, playfulness in his voice. He loved his friends, but they'd really made his home a mess.

Hinata let out a laugh, remembering his words to quote him by. "I'll be sure to tell them." She began, glancing to the Yondaime who seemed pretty upset. "But my stuff can stay right?"

Naruto knew she was only being cute, in which he found that smile adorable, and laughed. "Of course!" He replied quickly. "I don't mind your stuff at all, in fact, I love it." He stated, giving her that same adorable smile.

"Would you two please tell me what the hell is going on around here?!" Minato finally yelled, wanting answers. He was tired and he did feel like sleeping, but he had a job to do!

Before Hinata teleported away with the good news, she smiled to the Yondaime, knowing he was upset. "Good Night, Minato." With a poof of smoke, she was gone.

The Yondaime sighed, eyes closing. Well he obviously wasn't going to get an answer from her and he certainly wasn't going to get anything out of his son.

"Come on, Dad." The younger blonde began softly, helping his father into his room.

Knowing he couldn't refuse or convince his son otherwise, Minato did his best to walk with his son into the room he'd missed seeing. It was a normal bedroom to anyone, maybe a little big, but he certainly had missed it.

Smiling at his father's cooperation, the Uzumaki sat him on his bed and tried to get him to lie down without a fuss.

"Naruto, look, I'm glad to be back and I'm happy to see you, but I've got work to do. Take me to the Office." Minato told his son, voice just as tired as his closed eyes were.

Naruto watched his father, eyes never wavering. "No." He replied simply. "I told you before, everything is okay."

"Than where's Kirei? What's going on with Orochimaru? Where is he? How long have I been out? How's the city?" There were more questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't seem to find the words in his slow mind.

The younger blonde smiled. He was exhausted and still worrying about everyone but him. "Kirei is safe. She's with Sasuke right now." He smiled, seeing his father let out a sigh of relief. "Orochimaru and Kabuto are dead and the city is fine. You have nothing to worry about." He wouldn't explain any details, but knew his father had to know something or else he wouldn't sleep. "Right now you need to _**rest**_."

Minato half sighed, half scoffed, eyes still remaining closed. "Naruto, I've been in a coma. I've had enough rest. I need to get to – "

"Sleep." His son cut him off, smiling. "I'm not letting you out of here until you're well rested." Naruto was not, under any circumstance, going to compromise with his father.

Being his father, Minato could see this and sighed a heavy sigh. "Fine." He relented, not realizing he really did feel exhausted. Moving a little closer to the center of his bed, the Hokage allowed himself to lie on his very missed bed.

The Uzumaki smiled softly, quickly bringing in a chair from the Office and setting it beside his father's bed. He definitely wasn't going to stay the entire time his father slept, but he would stay until he was sure his dad wouldn't get up and leave.

Before the Yondaime let himself succumb to sleep, he opened his eyes slightly and pointed a finger at his watching son, tired smile on his face. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going back to work and you're not going to stop me."

A soft chuckle left Naruto's lips, a soft sigh following as Minato let his hand fall back to his side, eyes closing. Smile never falling, blue eyes became half lidded as he rested his head and arms on the space beside his father. "It's so great to have you back, Dad…" His voice was soft, eyes closed.

Minato may not have realized it, since he hadn't thought he'd been gone long, but Naruto had really, sorely missed his father.

"I missed you a lot…"

Without looking, Minato raised his hand and set it upon his son's head, knowing where he was. "It feels good to be back, Naruto." He answered, voice even softer than his son's as he fell into sleep.

Naruto wasn't falling asleep, nor did he feel tired, but remained there, close to his father until he knew he was asleep before leaving the room. When he did, he turned off the lights and allowed him to sleep, knowing he needed it.

He walked down the halls of his home with a sigh, hearing a few of his friends downstairs, cleaning probably. It was so nice, after all this time, to have things slowly returning to normal. Soon enough, he'd be back on the film grounds with all his friends, his father returning to Hokage and his Nee-chan returning to herself.

"I'm so glad to hear Minato's awake." Raiha began as she and Hinata conversed, both standing in the room she and Neji had shared during their stay. "It's such a big relief. I'm sure Kirei and Sasuke will be happy to hear it too, once they get back."

Naruto did not fail to hear this. "Get back from where?" He poked his head in, eyebrows knitted.

The two Hyuuga's shared a look, hoping Naruto wouldn't go crazy and butt in on them again. Knowing the two of them had to talk, or at least, Hinata had to explain it to him and convince him not to search for them, Raiha left the room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't mind, seeing as how Neji was just walking up the stairs.

"Now, Naruto…" Hinata began, walking toward her beloved, voice calm. "Don't overreact – "

Raising a hand, smile coming onto his face, Naruto laughed, figuring he should've expected that response after their previous vacation. "It's okay, Hina," He began, hoping she'd believe him. "I know better than messing with them now, they both really need their time together. I just want to know where they are."

Clear eyes examined her blonde thoroughly, not sure whether to believe him or not. Sure, he seemed to have learned…but this was Naruto, after all. He always seemed to change his mind very quickly. "Honestly…" She began, feeling as if he was being true. "we don't know."

He ruffled his eyebrows, repeating her words in his mind to make sure he heard them right. "You don't know?" He repeated.

She shook her head, hoping he wouldn't go off his rocker. "No…she just called and said they were going away. She didn't say when they'd be back or where they were…just that they were together, on vacation." She told him, watching a smile form on his face.

So. They were already gone, huh? Naruto's smile grew a little more as he closed his eyes, shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "I guess…" He began slowly, turning away from his beloved, walking over and opening the door before glancing back to her with a smile. "Nee-chan's gotten too big for that glass box, huh?"

* * *

Sasuke was excited.

Standing on the patio right outside their suite, black eyes looking up to the dark night sky illuminated only by the sparkling stars, his breath forming a cloud as he exhaled, Sasuke was oh, so very excited.

It had been a week or so since that first day of vacation, or at least Sasuke believed, since he refused to look at a calendar. He didn't want to count out the days he spent with his beloved Princess; rather, they would go home when they felt like it instead of a certain number of days.

However since that first day, things between the two, and for Kirei, were getting better. There were certain quirks she still had and, romantically, it was if they'd started from the very beginning, but things were looking up.

With this beautiful night and a nice hot Onsen, Sasuke could only hope things would get even better than they were. After all, there was only so much he could do for his blonde. He knew he could go through everything they did when they were first dating – mainly getting her used to being kissed and touched again – but he couldn't do everything. Kirei had to be the one to fix herself. She was the only person who could make herself normal again.

Sighing a soft sigh, the Uchiha pushed those thoughts from his mind, shaking his head slightly. Tonight would be a night without thoughts of the future. Tonight would be about tonight.

Hearing the glass doors of their room open behind him, Sasuke's smile grew, heart beating a mile a minute in his chest due to his excitement. Finally, after who knows how long, Kirei was done doing whatever she was doing and they could get in and enjoy their private hot spring. "It's about time." He joked, taking off his black shirt and discarding it as he turned to his beloved, smile fading slightly when he saw her.

Kirei was behind him, blue eyes looking up to his black, her hair clipped back, smile on her face, which he expected. He didn't expect to see a large black shirt of his covering her. "Sorry." She began happily, smile also fading when her blue eyes saw the scar on her raven's chest.

Sasuke saw this, wondering why she was looking there when he remembered that Kirei hadn't seen the scar yet. No one had. "It's okay." He answered, not really bothered by her fixation on his scar.

The thing that really bothered the Uchiha was the fact that his Princess was fully covered. Sure, it was cold out, being winter in this town, but they were getting in a hot spring. She wouldn't need that within a few minutes and she had already gotten over being in a bathing suit around him, thanks to their previous vacation.

Knitting his eyebrows, Sasuke tilted his head slightly at her. It just didn't make any sense to him. "You're getting in, right?" He asked, just to make sure she hadn't changed her mind.

Breaking from her trance, the blonde nodded, offering a smile. "Yeah." She answered, as if nothing was wrong. "Why?"

He sighed a soft sigh, smile almost nonexistent on his face. "Well…" He started, not sure of how to word it. He didn't want to seem like a pervert, but he really was confused. Pointing to her shirt, he figured it best to get right to the point. "you've got a shirt on."

Almost immediately her blue eyes deflected from his, demeanor becoming nervous. "…I…" She began softly, almost whispering, fingers playing with the hem of the large shirt. "don't want anyone to see _**my**_ scars."

Blinking, the raven stood stark still for a moment before his eyes softened considerably. With his line of work, he was used to having and showing his scars. They reminded him what good he'd done; like badges of honor and love. "Kirei…" Hers must have been badges of shame and disgust. He walked to her, making sure there was little distance between them. "It's okay." He assured, removing her hands from the hem of the shirt and placing his there.

Blue eyes widened in alarm, not wanting him to remove the only thing that hid her scars, body stiff, hands returning to stop his.

He knelt slightly, looking square into her eyes with his soft, black eyes. "It's okay." He assured softly once more, kissing her forehead and gently pulling her shirt up and off of her.

Still very stiff, the Namikaze gave no further complaint, blue eyes watching his intently as they looked over her body, his hands setting gently on her waist.

She didn't have many scars. There were few on her thighs, fewer on her chest. Most of them were on her waist, black eyes clearly able to see the white marks across her slightly tan skin. Allowing his fingers to graze them, his look hardened considerably, feeling how different they were to his smooth scars.

Sasuke felt more than one emotion rise into his heart, watching as Kirei's tummy tensed beneath his fingers. He hated the thought of how she received them. He felt disgusted that forever she would be reminded of what happened to her. He felt guilty that he hadn't stopped it in time. Most of all, he felt heartache. Heartache that she was so scared to show him of all people, what had happened to her as if he'd hate her because of it.

Fingers leaving her scars, his sight returned to hers, keeping them soft as she looked up to him with worry and fear. "You're beautiful." He smiled, kissing her forehead once more when he saw remnants of a smile on her face. "Scars and all."

A smile did return to the blonde's lips, although it wasn't a large smile. She knew she could trust her Prince when he said something, especially something as important to her as that, but there was still a lingering doubt within her mind. She had never, not once, seen Sasuke look at her with that face before.

Happy to see that smile return, the Uchiha smiled even more, taking her hands into his and leading her to the Onsen. "I'll help you in." He stated, knowing that Kirei was still having troubles walking. He would be damned if she slipped on a few rocks, fell in and possibly got a head wound because of it.

Kirei rolled her eyes playfully, letting out a soft chuckle as he stepped into the hot spring first and then turned to her.

"I know, I know," The raven started, seeing that look on her face as he walked closer. "You hate to be babied." Being careful not to hurt her, he set his hands on her waist, picking her up and holding her close.

She laced her hands around his shoulders, blue eyes looking into his before deflecting away. "Well…" She drawled, smile on her lips, blush on her face. "It's not so bad."

Setting her down and making sure she was completely on her feet, Sasuke held his blonde in his arms, smirk on his face as he tried to catch those blue eyes. "So you finally admit to liking it." He chuckled, always knowing that she secretly liked to be spoiled.

Looking back at him almost instantly, she pouted, remnants of a smile beneath that pout. "I didn't say that." She replied quickly, allowing him to sit and pull her beside him.

Sasuke snaked his arms around her waist, burrowing his face into her neck and smiling when he heard her giggle. "You didn't have to." He whispered, kissing her neck.

Kirei couldn't help but giggle, missing his kisses and how his bangs always tickled her neck. Her pout didn't remain for much longer, replaced by a large and happy smile. With a soft sigh of content, the blonde felt a strange feeling in her heart.

She wasn't so sure of what it was until Sasuke saw her wondering eyes and brought them to look into his black eyes as he leaned forward and kissed his Princess.

She smiled into the kiss, remembering that this feeling was happiness.

* * *

Unfortunately, for her, that happiness didn't last very long.

It had fallen to sweet silence between the two, both sitting side by side, Sasuke looking up into the night sky, admiring the stars. Kirei on the other hand, who loved to stargaze, had her eyes on the rippling water below them, thinking.

She knew Sasuke had already told her she wasn't allowed to do any deep thinking, especially tonight, but she just couldn't help herself. She kept thinking back to when he saw her scars, more importantly, how he looked when he saw them. He looked…disgusted.

Yet, he'd said they were beautiful. So…was he lying to her? Or did he really think that? And if he did think they were beautiful, why did he look so disgusted at her?

"…Sasuke?" She asked quietly, keeping her eyes on the water, hands in her lap.

"Hm?" He replied softly, eyes still watching the stars, smile wavering on his face. He knew that tone of voice oh so very well.

The blonde shifted away from him slightly, her voice growing ever softer. "…Did you really mean to propose?"

Instantly his eyes diverted from the stars, looking directly at his blonde as he sat up in complete disbelief. He leaned forward, closer to her to try to catch her sight. "Of course I did." He answered quickly, hoping to convince her. "I love you."

Her eyes remained away from his, body turned slightly away to deter him from seeing her face.

At her reaction, he leaned closer, eyes intently trying to look into hers. "Why would you ever think I didn't?"

"I saw how you looked at me." She finally said, refusing to look at him even when he tried to turn her to face him.

He knitted his eyebrows gently, wondering if she meant when he was looking at her scars. He certainly hoped it wasn't.

Kirei could feel the lump gathering in her throat, eyes closing to stop them from welling up. "You're sickened by me."

Sasuke's face immediately fell, his confusion replaced with concern and sadness. "No, no, no, no." He told her quickly, moving from his seat to kneel in front of her and look to her, hoping to catch her eyes. "I'm not sickened by you. I hate the thought of how you got them and who gave them to you and that you'll have to live with them, not you." He quickly explained, his hands grabbing and holding hers tightly.

Kirei still refused to look at him, eyes remaining closed, her hands having no reaction to his.

"Kirei, look at me."

She did not.

Sighing softly, the Uchiha kept his eyes with hers, allowing a hand to leave hers and cup her face, gently pulling it so she had to look at him. He continued to kneel, not caring how hot the water was against his scar. "Look at me." He commanded again.

Her face scrunched in slight tears before her eyes opened, first looking to the stars before looking down to her Prince who refused to look away from her eyes. Lower lip trembling slightly, she could see the love and assurance in his eyes, telling her everything he said was true.

"Namikaze Kirei," He began, his hands tight around her small hands. "I love you." He spoke softly but adamantly, making sure she understood. "For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer."

A watery smile slipped onto the blonde's lips, a soft, disbelieving giggle drowned out by a sob. She couldn't believe he was reciting this to her, right then, right now.

Seeing her own smile, he smiled back, knowing he was convincing her. "In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish." Sasuke's eyes never wavered as he looked into those deep blue eyes, wanting her to know just how much he loved her. "Until death do us part."

Kirei's smile became one of the largest he'd seen since she returned, eyes no longer filled with tears and doubt. "I missed you so much." She replied after a long silence, pushing off her seat as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding her Prince as close to her as she could get.

The Uchiha returned the hug, resting his head against hers as his eyes closed, knowing there would never be another doubt in his or her mind. "I missed you too."

They remained in close embrace for a long time, to the point where Sasuke had to lift the both of them up and return to his seat to stop his legs from aching. Kirei stayed right with him, refusing to leave his side for more than a few seconds. Just like he had been, she looked to the stars, ear squarely on his heart, listening to it beat softly with her own.

"You know…" She began softly, seeing his eyes glance down to her. "If Nii-san were here right now – "

"He'd most certainly be having a heart attack." Sasuke finished for her, already knowing that if Naruto had seen them like this on their last vacation, he'd definitely be having a heart attack.

Kirei laughed, nodding in agreement. "That wasn't what I was thinking, but yes, he would."

Just as she did, Sasuke looked up in thought, smile on his face. "If he reacted like that during vacation and we were only dating….I wonder what he's gonna do when he finds out we're engaged."

The blonde had already been informed that, like vacation, no one other than them knew they were engaged. They were planning on telling everyone when they returned. "Oh god…" She replied, smile on her face. "That's going to be fun to explain."

"Why should we have to explain?" The raven asked, looking down to his blonde, eyes locking with hers. "It's not like he's going to stop me anyway."


	23. Normalcy

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

* * *

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ Oh gosh you guys. I always feel bad that I leave these updates so few and far between, but school has just been a killer. I'm supposed to be working on a research paper right now....but I wsanted to do this before I get started. I will finish this up before summer starts, and hopefully, have my next story ready for you guys. I believe I've already stated it will not be a Naruto fanfiction, but let me say it again, it will not be a Naruto fanfiction. I might go back to Naruto someday...but for now, I've got to take a break. I hope that you'll still follow my stories and enjoy them as much as I do :) Enjoy the chapter!

Thank you for reading and supporting me!! :D

* * *

_Chapter 23 – Normalcy_

* * *

It was déjà vu. Hinata knew it. She knew, sitting there on her Uzumaki's large bed in a blue gown that she had been in this situation before.

She just couldn't place it.

Sighing as Naruto continued to rummage through his closet for "something only she could decide" she closed her eyes in thought. She was wearing heels. The deep blue, slightly form fitting, slightly flowy floor-length dress with straps covered in jewels and the way her hair and makeup were done seemed so familiar.

"Finally found em!" Naruto cried happily from his closet, doing his best to maneuver around the piles of clothes he had torn from their hangers to find these two important pieces of his outfit. "Kay, Hina," He began, waiting by the doorframe before completely leaving the closet. "Are you ready?"

Still not able to put her finger on it, the Hyuuga smiled and opened her eyes. "Yes, hon, I'm ready."

Within the blink of an eye, the blonde appeared before his girlfriend, complete in a black Jounin outfit with two materials in his hands. "I know, I know, I'm not wearing a tux or anything…" He began, looking at the two cloaks in his hands. "But I think the Hokage cloak is good enough for the Red Carpet….I just can't pick which one!"

Oh yes. Hinata had been here before. More than one year ago at the very first movie Premiere. Tonight, actually, right now, was the second movie Premiere.

"Naruto, it doesn't matter which one you wear." She began, smiling as wide as she could. Naruto was seriously hopeless without her. "Either one – "

"No, no, no….I need you to pick!" He pleaded, blue eyes large, pout set on his face. "Please, Hina?"

Smiling at him, the Hyuuga rose from the bed and walked over to her beloved blonde, looking at both cloak equally to appease him. The one in his left hand was a replica of his Father's cloak; a mainly white cloak with red flames and red lettering that ended near the calf. The one in his right hand was probably the one he would wear when he became a true Hokage; it was mainly orange with black flames and ended at the same length. She couldn't help but like both cloaks.

Clear eyes looked back up to blue, smiling at his excited, childlike look as he watched her, hoping she'd be able to pick one when he couldn't.

Shaking her head slightly, smile on her face, Hinata let out a soft sigh. She knew this wasn't going to be a short process. "We're going to be late again, aren't we?"

* * *

Fortunately for Hinata, there was more than one couple experiencing déjà vu. Having just returned from their vacation two days before the Premiere, Sasuke and Kirei stood in nearly the same spot as last year's Red Carpet, determined to stay away from paparazzi and reporters. They knew they only wanted to know what happened at Orochimaru's base and why the Uchiha and youngest Namikaze disappeared, but that was for Sasuke and Kirei to know. No one else had to know what they went through.

Also like before, Sasuke was in a nice tux, tie black to match his Princess's gown that she'd bought only the day before. When he first saw it, he was a little surprised, being that it wasn't Kirei's usual style, but loved it all the same.

It was a haltered black corset that tied around the back of her neck. The neckline of the corset itself was extremely low, but a deep purple cloth lined with white lace in the shape of bra covered Kirei's chest and a few scars she wanted no one to see. The waist was much simpler than the top, being mainly black save for a purple crisscrossing ribbon at the center with two lines of lace on each side. The bottom of the corset was lined with the same white lace as the top of the bra and had a little purple ribbon for an accent. From there, the skirt of the dress fell in an A-line fashion, save for the very bottom that was accented with the same white lace and purple ribbon as the corset. To top it off, Kirei had purple cuffs with white lace on her wrists.

The most important part of her outfit, to both blonde and raven, was the brand new ring on her left hand ring finger.

"Are you sure it's okay?" The raven asked as he held his blonde, nuzzling her softly curled hair. "I tried to find the best one they had."

Kirei chuckled softly and smiled, thumb spinning the ring around on her finger, arms set gently around his neck. "Yes," She answered, not annoyed by how much he'd asked that question since he got on one knee and gave it to her. She knew he only wanted the best for her. "it's gorgeous."

"But is it shiny enough?" He continued, still feeling a little insecure about it. Sasuke knew that the engagement ring showed everyone how much love they had for their partner and he wanted to be damn sure everyone knew how much he loved the blonde in his arms. "It's not too small, is it? I can go back and get a larger, shinier diamond."

"Sasuke," The Namikaze laughed, pulling away from his chest to look him in the eyes, arms still laced around his neck. "if you got me any larger of a diamond, I wouldn't be able to pick up my hand. It's perfect, okay?" She assured him, smiling that lovely smile he hadn't seen in a long time.

Black eyes stared into hers for quite some time, wanting to make sure she was content. "Okay, Princess." He answered softly, kissing her forehead with a smile. If she truly found it perfect and loved it, why should he go off and get a new one?

"So you _**are**_ engaged."

Letting out a shriek, the blonde in Sasuke's arms immediately stiffed, her arms retracting from his neck to pull in close to her as she hid away in his arms. Eyes closed, forehead resting against his chest, she breathed rather frantically, trying to calm herself and tell her Orochimaru wasn't alive anymore. He couldn't haunt her anymore.

Gaara watched with wide, confused teal eyes at the reaction of his old friend. He knew she had been taken by that Snake Sannin…but what exactly did he do to her to make her react like this?

Sasuke could see the Kazekage in the corner of his eye and knew he would have to explain at one point, but focused on his Princess. He kept his arms tight around her, lips near her ear to whisper words of comfort. "It's okay, Kirei…" He told her, kissing her hair sweetly. "He's not going to hurt you anymore. No one is….I'm here. I'm right here."

The blonde let out a long, shaky sigh, gathering herself up before looking to her long time redheaded friend. "I'm s-sorry about that, Gaara." She kept close to her Prince, deciding just to turn her head to the Kazekage, blue eyes looking up to his.

He walked closer, knowing it would be safe to do so. "You have nothing to apologize for." He told her softly, watching as she slowly pulled away from the raven. "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to scare you."

It took a few minutes, but Kirei was able to leave her Uchiha's arms and hug her old friend. "It's okay," She said, smiling slightly. "you didn't know I scare so easily anymore. It's just because of what Orochimaru did to me."

Sasuke watched with soft eyes, realizing just how much Kirei really trusted Gaara. If she hadn't, she would've never said those words to him.

The redhead nodded, able to see the torment the Namikaze had gone through in her blue eyes. "I'd like to apologize for that, as well." He stated, receiving an odd look from both blonde and raven. "Because we were not attacked directly, I was unable to help Konoha stop that monster and help you." He explained with a soft voice.

Gaara had never truly cared for the Sannin, having never really met him. He had heard of the horrible things he'd done through others, but when the Kazekage learned of this attack on Konoha he did his best to help. The attack on the Yondaime alone was enough for Gaara to hate the Snake, but to know one of his best friends was taken enraged the redhead even more.

Blue eyes deflected away from teal, not really wanting to talk about anything that had to do with Orochimaru. That was in the past now, and that was where she wanted it to remain. "It's okay…really." She spoke, voice not as convincing as her words.

"So you're engaged, now?" Gaara asked with a smile, able to see there was a need for a change in subject.

Kirei was quick to react, smile back on her face even before she looked back to Gaara. "Yep!" She replied, stepping back and pulling Sasuke's arms around her before leaning back on him. "For about a month now…" She looked up to the raven. "Right?"

He chuckled softly before kissing her forehead. He should've known she'd forget how long they were engaged. "Yes, about that."

Despite his usually stoic face, anyone could see the smile the Kazekage sported. "I knew it…" He mumbled, being met with confused looks once more.

"Knew what?" The blonde asked happily, tilting her head and staying within her love's arms. She felt safe there.

If it was possible, Gaara's smile grew a little more. "Ever since I saw that photo of the two of you from the Halloween Party," He remembered, from when the group had dressed up as Final Fantasy characters almost two years ago in Suna. "I knew you'd end up together."

Kirei stifled a laugh before actually laughing and looking up to her raven. "I guess it was meant to be." She smiled, it remaining on her face as she gasped and looked back to Gaara. "Oh, please don't tell anyone! We're trying to keep it a secret for now."

Teal eyes immediately looked to black. "You're afraid of Naruto's reaction, aren't you?"

"To say the least."

* * *

Raiha hated to be fawned over. It was one of the first things Neji learned about his wife when they first started dating.

But for once, as she stood on the red carpet in a light blue, strapless gown that was slightly form fitting with a dark blue ribbon below her bust, Raiha had to admit she liked being fussed over.

"So…it's not alive yet?" Kiba asked as he leaned forward, staring directly at the tiny baby bump Raiha sported. He felt the urge to poke her tummy.

Ino clicked her tongue, smacking him upside the head. "Of course it's alive, stupid!" She cried, staring him dead in the eye as he cried out in pain and rubbed the back of his head. "It's just not moving yet!" She informed, setting her hands on her waist and the black and purple gown she wore.

It was probably the most fashionable gown the designer had made, and despite his utter hate for how half of the strapless gown was purple, the other half black, the colors separated by a chain of white, purple and black ovals that sparkled, Ino loved it at first sight.

"You didn't have to abuse me to tell me that!" He snarled back, still rubbing his head. It may have been a playful smack, but it really hurt.

"That's enough, you two." Sakura said, playing mediator as she stood in between her best friend and the dog lover, her emerald, mermaid style dress with a sweetheart neckline and ribbon similar to Raiha's complimenting her eyes and hair very well. "We don't need any anger on the Carpet. Tonight is for fun."

Everyone who heard her words, even those such as Shikamaru and Temari, who was wearing a lower thigh length black gown with a white bust and straps, grew silent. There were smiles all around, knowing that the rosette was right. Tonight was for their enjoyment.

"Here, here." Another, usually unheard voice chimed in.

Those who couldn't see her, turned, completely shocked to find Suigetsu and Karin standing behind them, both smiling. Like most males, Suigetsu was wearing a plain tux, his redhead in an A-line black gown with a small amount of ruffles and a shiny broach at her bust. As always with the redhead, Karin wore her black rimmed glasses, she pushing them up for the umpteenth time that night. "It's good to know that someone knows what tonight's about."

"I thought tonight was about our Movie!" Another, very familiar voice added, the couple appearing between Sakura and Karin.

Slipping an arm around her neck, Suigetsu closed his eyes and led his girlfriend away from the loud Uzumaki. "And this is where we take our leave! See ya inside, homies."

Karin followed her boyfriend with a smile, giving the group a wave as she passed. "They aren't your "homies"." She told him, wondering why the shark had to use such terms.

"Fine then…" He sighed in annoyance. "They're my peeps!"

The redhead could only sigh and hang her head in defeat, a small smile on her face. She'd never admit it, but she loved the way he tried to be a gangster.

For a few moments, the crowd of actors, directors, crew and everyone behind the show "Naruto" seemed to be at ease, unlike how they'd been months ago. There was talking and chatting, laughing and smiling, but everything seemed to be at a calm the city hadn't had in a long time.

At least until the very late Hokage spied the couple he loved to pieces. "NEJI!!"

The elder Hyuuga put his fingers to his temples, gearing himself up to face the blonde who really was his friend. Deep, deep, deep down inside. "…here we go…"

Setting a hand on her tiny bump, Raiha smiled, knowing her husband really did enjoy Naruto's little spaz moments. "Hi, Naruto!" She waved, voice sweet as if she were speaking to a child, since Naruto was just a giant child anyway.

He came within inches of the couple, stopping and pointing a dramatic finger at them. "I knew it!!!" He cried triumphantly, unaware of the laughs he was receiving.

Hinata had followed her blonde at a slower pace, already knowing where he was going. "Knew what, hon?" She asked, trying her hardest not to laugh at his stance and determined face that reminded her of Lee.

The Uzumaki regained some normal posture, but still pointed at both Neji and Raiha. "You're married! I can see the rings on your fingers!! We can all see that you two are married and you can't deny it!" Naruto smiled, feeling accomplished as ever. He didn't get to out them when they were dating, but now he finally got his chance.

Neji let his hands fall to his sides, doing his best to hold back his smile. This was going to be fun. "Yes," He confirmed, stepping behind his wife and wrapping his arms around her. "we are married."

Naruto smiled and was just about to pump his fist in the air in victory before all of his hopes and dreams were crushed.

"And we're expecting a child."

As if put on pause, the blonde halted all movement. A baby? But…but…he didn't expect that! He just wanted to prove they were married!

"So it hasn't moved yet?" Tenten asked, having watched Naruto's scene just moments before, a smile plastered on her face. Her dress was much like the others, a maroon mermaid style that fitted just to the thighs, a small line of gems just below the bust that separated the ruffles of the bust from the rest of the dress.

"Oh, no," Raiha began, looking to the brunette with a smile. "it's a bit too soon for that."

Conversation continued around the blonde as he stood stark still, eyeing Raiha's bump with suspicious eyes and a pout. So that little bump was the baby? That tiny, barely bump was the thing that spoiled his chance?

Slowly, the blonde inched closer to Raiha, completely unaware of the eyes watching him and the laughs that he was the cause of. When he came close to her, he stopped and extended his hand, index finger pointed. With extreme slowness, he poked Raiha's bump, quickly drawing back his hand and waiting for a reaction.

The brunette had been watching him with a smile, laughing when he finally poked her. "It hasn't started moving yet, Naruto." She informed, knowing he hadn't heard her comment earlier. "It's just a tiny little thing right now." Why was it, whenever she was with Naruto, she saw him as a child?

"So…you don't even know if it's a boy or a girl?" He asked, poking her gently again, watching for any type of movement.

Neji glared at the blonde, not liking that he was poking his future child. "No, we don't. Not yet, at least."

Blue eyes blinked as he gasped and straightened up, grin wide on his face. "I got it!" He stated, receiving a few laughs at his randomness. "Since I couldn't really prove you two were married, I'll make a bet with you!" He looked to Neji, grin very mischievous.

Neji knew that grin anywhere, and he did not like where this was going. He opened his mouth to protest.

"If it's a boy," The Uzumaki cut him off, not giving him a chance to say no. "You're gonna name him after me!"

The elder Hyuuga sighed. How did he not see that coming?

"And if it's a girl, you've still gotta name her after me!" He finished, grin wide on his face as he looked back and forth between the couple, his friends in stitches. "It'll be so sweet to have a kid named after me!!"

"Naruto, that's ridiculous!" Hinata did her best to speak through her laughter, knowing that there was no way Neji was ever going to agree to that. He loved Naruto deep down, but not enough to name his child after him.

Despite what everyone was expecting Neji to do – completely refuse the blonde and tell him there was no way in hell he was naming his child after the blonde – he did something completely different. "Fine." He answered with closed eyes, face devoid of all emotion as everyone fell silent.

Even Naruto was silent as a rock, not ever expecting the long haired brunette to agree with him. Ever.

"And since it was you're idea, why don't you go see what Kirei and Sasuke think of it?" He suggested, knowing the mere mention of Kirei would make Naruto go running.

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. "Nee-chan's back?" He asked excitedly, grin growing on his face.

Neji simply nodded. He didn't need words to make the blonde leave.

The Uzumaki did not waste any time leaving the group, off in search of his Nee-chan whom he'd not seen in what felt like forever.

Laughter was quick to resume, feeling as if this is what they all needed. A good laugh always helped to cheer everyone up and it always was Naruto who made everyone laugh.

She knew she should pursue her beloved blonde to make sure Sasuke didn't kill him, but before Hinata left, she looked to her cousin, smiling as she shook her head. "You're cruel."

He nodded, smile on his face for once. "Yes, I am…but naming any child after him is even crueler."

Raiha knew he didn't mean it, laughing as she added to his statement. "And boy or girl," She set a hand on her bump, looking down at it before looking back to Hinata. "we are not naming him or her after Naruto."

* * *

"So…when is the wedding?" A curious Gaara asked as he looked to the couple, wondering if they'd picked a date yet.

For the last half an hour he'd stood with his friends, simply chatting with them about life and any certain things they'd decided about the wedding. He hadn't learned much about any of the time Kirei was with Orochimaru…but he understood how hard a subject that was to talk about. He didn't mind hearing what little she had to tell him, even with the years between them seeing each other.

Sighing softly, the blonde's smile wavered as her blue eyes glanced up to black. "Well…"

Sasuke met her gaze, his arm laced around her waist. "We haven't decided yet."

"It probably won't be for a few years…" Kirei told him, knowing that neither she nor Sasuke were ready to be married yet. "we just…we wanted to have that feeling that we will be married."

Gaara had a feeling, as he looked at the blonde and raven, that something close to death happened at Orochimaru's. He may not have understood, since he wasn't in a relationship, but he smiled at the couple. "Just make sure you let me know…I'd like to be there."

Kirei returned the smile rather quickly, not needing to confirm it with Sasuke. "Of course, Gaara! It's not going to be big or anything…but you'll be there."

"Who'll be where?" As if by magic or some other unforeseen force, the elder blonde bounded in on the three, Sasuke stiffening slightly.

The Uchiha knew Naruto couldn't refuse their engagement, but just that thought of his best friend, his…brother, not allowing them to marry was something he didn't want happening. It would crush him, but it would devastate Kirei.

Because of his silence and the stiffen she felt, the younger blonde answered her cousin, eyes on the ground, voice soft. "Gaara will…" She struggled to get the words out. "be at our wedding."

It returned to silence once again, Kirei and Sasuke's eyes away from the blonde who watched them. Their…wedding?

Naruto sighed a heavy and loud sigh. "Well…" He began, walking over to the couple until he was in front of his Nee-chan. "He better not be the only one coming to this wedding of yours."

Deep blue eyes immediately meet with similar blue eyes, hers wide with shock as a smile began to creep on her face in disbelief. "Nii-san – "

"Kirei," He cut her off, voice very calm, eyes light and happy. "for the longest time I've tried to put you in this small little glass box…that you've grown out of now. I can't keep you locked away forever." He closed his eyes momentarily, knowing he was the only one who could truly stop them if he really wanted to. But he didn't. "If this is what you want, and you're happy…I can't refuse you."

Kirei felt happy tears on the brims of her eyes for the first time in forever, her voice breaking slightly as she hugged her brother tightly. "Thank you, Nii-san. Thank you so much."

Smiling, the blonde hugged his little sister back, knowing that was what she needed. When the time came for them to be married, they wouldn't have any fear. Well. Kirei wouldn't have any fear.

Naruto still held his cousin, one hand leaving her as he narrowed his eyes when they met watching black eyes. "And you." He began, voice deep and intimidating as he pointed with two fingers at his eyes and then pointed with one finger at Sasuke. "I'm keeping my eye on you."

* * *

It took a few minutes of explaining exactly how Naruto was going to keep his eye on Sasuke, and the reason why for that matter, but after those minutes, the couple felt at ease. The one person who could truly stop them had given his blessing.

A weird, and very odd blessing, but a blessing at that. Even more, he was happy for them. They had been through so much, even since they first met, and finally, after all the turmoil, deserved to be happy.

And although she was very at ease, Kirei was also very, very nervous. Sometime during those explaining minutes, the Actors had been called to do their now traditional cast photo and Kirei had no problem with that. She loved to see the cast of her favorite show together, having a good time.

It was being left alone she had a problem with. If it were any other time, she might've been okay, but knowing how shark-like and uncaring reporters were, she didn't want to take any chances. There was no way she could stand up to any questions about Orochimaru. Not now, not ever.

Biting her lip gently, she looked up to her raven, wondering what they were going to do. He wouldn't leave her if she asked him to stay, yet he had to be in the photos.

Sasuke saw her fear and with a smile, kissed the crown of her head, hand on her waist gripping slightly. "Don't worry, Princess." He told her, black eyes able to see the worry in her eyes quite clearly. "I've already asked someone to stay with you."

She creased her eyebrows, looking in between Gaara, who didn't look like he knew, Sasuke, who didn't reveal anything and Naruto…who looked a little upset. "Really?" She asked back. "Who?"

Before Sasuke could even open his mouth, Naruto crossed his arms and huffed in anger. "Miss-I've-got-to-be-pregnant!" He growled, turning away as the brunette he was talking about walked up beside him.

Raiha wore a smile on her face, knowing that was Naruto's own special way of congrats. Once she got a little bigger and the baby started moving, he'd be fawning over her like a four year old. "I am."

The second Kirei saw her best friend, she gasped a gasp in surprise, smile wide on her face. "Raiha!" She cried, walking as best she could over to the brunette and hugging her tightly. "I missed you!!"

Smiling, the Hyuuga wrapped her arms around the blonde and patted her back. "I can hold down the fort for now, guys." She assured the guys watching her, knowing they were somewhat apprehensive to leave Kirei. Continuing to pat her back, her eyes turned toward the looming reporters and glared. "No reporter dare mess with a pregnant Hyuuga."

Exchanging glances, the guys were no longer afraid of the reporters or Kirei being asked questions. They were more afraid of Raiha at the moment.

Gaara was the first to leave the area, promising to return when the photos were over. He had heard a few stories from the younger Namikaze, but he wouldn't mind hearing a few more before the movie started.

Naruto was the second to leave, waiting for his cousin to finish hugging Raiha before hugging her himself, whispering congrats into her ear of her engagement. He also made sure she knew that he would beat Sasuke on a moment's notice if she asked.

Of course, Sasuke was the last to leave, also getting a hug from his beloved. "You be good now, okay?" He told her sweetly, setting a hand on top of her head and tousling her hair gently, knowing he could.

She giggled softly, having some of the old reaction she used to. "Yeah," She looked to her best friend, smile on her face. "I will."

With a smile and a nod to Raiha, Sasuke departed for the photos, knowing his beloved was in good hands.

Keeping an eye on those reporters who were still keeping their distance, the brunette turned to her friend, very happy to see her again. "So how was vacation?" She asked, being one of the few to know.

The Namikaze let out a soft sigh, watching her raven from her spot. "It was…great." She answered softly, remembering the sweet moments the two had shared. "But it feels good to be back, too."

"I could imagine." Raiha answered, nodding her head slightly. "And you're engaged now?" She smiled a devilish smile, knowing how the blonde must've been feeling. She felt the same thing when she and Neji were first engaged.

Kirei laughed slightly, smile wide on her face now. "Yep." She confirmed, offering her hand for Raiha to see the ring. "We won't be doing anything for a while….but we just wanted to be more than what we were."

"I know that feeling." The brunette answered with great understanding. She had gone back and forth about it for a while when they were dating, but deep down she had known all she wanted was to be with Neji for the rest of her life.

"And you're pregnant?" Kirei asked excitedly, looking at the small bump her friend now sported. "I couldn't imagine being pregnant in…what…two years?" It felt pathetic to her, but she had really forgotten how much older Raiha was than she.

Looking out to her beloved, the Hyuuga set a hand on her tummy, smiling. "Yes, I know…I hadn't imagined it either. If you told me two years ago I'd be pregnant, I wouldn't believe you. But here I am, pregnant and all." She answered, smile growing on her face.

The two continued to talk about the baby Raiha would soon have and possible names that weren't Naruto, even as Gaara walked over to them. The cast photos had all been taken and right now it was only Main Cast, so he could afford a few minutes away from the cameras.

"Well," Kirei continued, smiling at her best friend as she sighed. "Congratulations. I'm glad things are going so well for you."

The brunette returned to the smile. "Thanks, Kirei. I hope things go as well for you and Sasuke too."

"So do I." Gaara chimed in, small smile on his face. After everything that had happened, they deserved for things to go well.

"I third that." With a sudden crack and poof of smoke before the three friends, the Hokage of Konoha appeared, white and red Hokage cloak shining, as if it never had a bloodstain on it.

Despite any other time, Kirei wasn't frightened like some thought she would be. Minato had appeared in front of her, instead of behind her, which let her see who it was before she could freak out. "Uncle Yondy!" She yelled happily, hugging the Uncle she hadn't seen since that fateful month almost a year ago.

Minato was happy to return the death hug, thankful that his niece was okay. When he had learned of all the details as to what happened during his coma, he feared the worse. "It's good to see you too, Kirei." He told her, smile on his face. "Very good."

"Dad!" Naruto cried, not exactly as happy as his cousin's as he walked up to the small group, Sasuke behind him. "You know you're not supposed to be out in the public eye for another few days!" He continued to scold his father, wagging his finger at him.

Minato sighed. He knew Naruto was just caring for him, but wasn't he the father? "I know, I know," He began, releasing his niece and smiling when she returned to Sasuke's grasp. "I'm not supposed to strain myself too much."

"That's right!" The Uzumaki continued to wag his finger, prepared to make his father leave. He knew he wanted to be a part of the fun, but not at the expense of his health.

"But I also believe," The Hokage began, blue eyes traveling off to see everyone smiling and having fun on the Red Carpet. "that by being here, in the eye of every citizen of Konoha…they'll know everything is all right. Everything is normal again."

Minato's words were followed by silence, Naruto's wagging finger slowly falling to his side. They weren't expecting something so deep from the Yondaime right now, but it was nice to hear. It was nice to have everything return to normal again.

"Oh and by the way," Minato continued, looking at his son's attire. "Nice cloak." He said sarcastically, knowing the black and orange cloak was the exact same as his own, save for the different colors.

It took a moment, but a pout formed on Naruto's face, his arms crossing. "You know you love it, Dad." He replied, closing his eyes and turning his head away from his father.

Laughs were spread around the group and within a few moments, it fell to silence again. Although, it was much more of a content silence than before. Neji had since pulled Raiha away, wanting to spend a few moments with just him and his beloved, while the others simply conversed softly and looked on to their friends in content.

Few minutes passed before there were calls and cries of a "Family photo" from the paparazzi and with an assuring nod from Kirei, the odd, but loved family of Konoha – the Yondaime, Naruto and Hinata, Kirei and Sasuke and Itachi – posed for the city, as if letting them know everything was okay now.

Just before they finished, the doors to the theater finally opened, allowing the Actors and their families to finally see the movie they had worked so hard on.

"Come on, girls!" Naruto cried as he gently pulled Hinata and his cousin along, not caring who was in their way or the raven he was leaving behind. He was going to get the best seats with his cousin and his girlfriend and no one was going to stop him.

Sasuke expected it and with a happy sigh, shoved his hands into his pockets and was about to follow them before he was stopped.

"Sasuke?" Minato asked softly, holding the Uchiha back as people walked around them and went inside the theater.

The raven turned around, looking at the very happy Yondaime and wondering if he should've just kept going. That grin never held good things for Sasuke. It usually meant they had something against him and were going to mercilessly pick on him for the rest of his life. "Hm?" But he answered anyway, feeling a different aura around the Hokage.

Minato was smiling a broad smile. He had something very important to tell the Uchiha who would soon be his nephew-in-law. "I know I'm not her father, but I do believe that being her Uncle is close enough."

Blinking, Sasuke's jaw slowly dropped, eyes slightly wide in awe. "You remembered?" He began softly, feeling slightly embarrassed as he remembered he'd said those words when he first told anyone he was going to propose to Kirei.

"I don't remember a lot from the coma…" The Hokage began as he walked closer to the raven. "But I do remember that." Setting a reassuring hand on Sasuke's shoulder, Minato met his eyes and smiled. "It's good to see you're finally accepting the family you've always had, son."

There was a silent exchange between the two for a few moments, both letting the other know they understood. Sasuke had, in his own way, asked for permission and came to accept that Naruto and Minato had always been his family and Minato was finally able to know that Sasuke realized what he'd had in front of him his entire life.

"Are you two ever going to move?" Kirei asked with a smile, seeing the two still standing in the same spot she left them, hands on her hips as she looked between her Uncle and her fiancé. "The movie's about to start."

"Yeah," Sasuke began, eyes breaking away from Minato's as he turned to his beloved. "We were just about to – "

Smiling, she took one of their hands into her own and began to pull them along, toward the theater. "You two are so slow." She mumbled under her breath happily, glancing back to both of them.

Just like she, they were both smiling, just as everyone had been the entire night. No one knew better than them that "normal" for Konoha was a bit of the ways off, but the smiles and happy feeling of that night reassured the city that things would one day be normal.

* * *

Sighing a rather soft and defeated sigh, Kirei let her blue eyes close for a moment after reading yet another rejection letter. She reminded herself it wasn't the only job out there in Konoha and that she just had to keep looking.

Resting her elbow against the wooden desk in her studio, the blonde allowed her head to rest on her hand, eyes opening and traveling to the few photos on the desk. She wasn't horribly upset, but the photos helped to put a smile on her face.

Most of them were of her and Sasuke, however, the most recent photo was the one that caught her eye the most and widened her smile. "It's so pathetic…" She mumbled to herself, as she remembered that busy and nerve-wracking night of the second Premiere.

It wasn't that the family photo that contained herself and Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata and Minato and Itachi was pathetic. No, it was the fact that it was taken nearly two years ago and it was the most recent photo they had.

Kirei sighed once more, continuing to look longingly at the photo. Two years…nearly two years had passed since all of the turmoil and pain everyone, not just herself, went through. Since that night, though, everything had been going great. There were too many good things going on for the blonde to have a reason to be upset.

After a yearlong break for the Actors to recoup after the Orochimaru situation, filming resumed and the fans were still very loyal to the show, despite the break. With help, Kirei'd gotten much better around people and finally went back to college. Only recently did she obtain her Associate's Degree and now, was looking for a job.

That was probably the only low point during those two years. Job hunting hadn't been easy in the least bit because everyone was content. The economy was doing well, so people weren't really hiring. Sasuke assured her almost every time the subject was brought up that she'd find a job eventually, but it was getting harder and harder to believe with ever rejection letter she got.

It wasn't like they needed the money, nor was she worried about needing money, it was just something she wanted.

Completely enveloped in her thinking and the soft music playing from the computer near her, Kirei jumped slightly when the phone beside her began to ring. Shaking her head and blinking her eyes back into focus, she leaned back in the chair and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, sweetie." Was the calm, happy reply.

Her smile widened, she a bit surprised to hear Hinata on the other side. "Hi, Hina. What are you doing calling me? Aren't you filming right now?" She asked, knowing they were filming since Sasuke wasn't home and wouldn't be until later.

The Hyuuga chuckled softly. "No, I'm at the clinic today." She answered, also smiling. "They didn't need a few of us today, so they sent us home."

"Ohhh." The blonde replied happily, laughing slightly. "I guess that makes sense, huh?"

Despite the Namikaze not able to see it, Hinata nodded, laughing as well. "Yeah, it does. By the way…are you forgetting something, dear?" She smiled, hinting at something.

Blue eyes blinked before looking up in thought. She was silent for a few moments. "I don't think so…" Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Oh, my vitamins!"

The Hyuuga's smile was wide as she nodded again, looking at the bag of vitamins for the blonde on her desk. "I have them sitting right here. Why don't you walk over and pick them up?"

"Sure!" Kirei replied, not believing she'd forgotten to pick up her vitamins from the Hyuuga clinic earlier. All this job searching had taken over her mind. "I'll be over in a few minutes."

"See you then, hun."

"See ya, Hinata!!"

* * *

It took Kirei more than a few minutes to walk to the Hyuuga Clinic within the clan's compound, being that it was almost on the other side of town, but she didn't mind. Walking around gave her a chance to clear her head and not think about a job for once.

When she did finally arrive at the Clinic, she stepped inside, making sure to not open the door too much because there was usually an insanely long line of people waiting to be checked in. To her surprise, there was almost no one in the building. "Wow…" She mumbled, eyes finding her blue haired friend sitting behind the main desk. "You look busy."

Hinata scoffed, head in her head, other hand drawing doodles on the paper below her to save her from boredom. "Oh yes…" She began, flashing a smile as the Namikaze came closer to the desk. "I don't even think I'll get a break today."

Kirei couldn't help but giggle, eyes able to see the doodles she was making. "Aw, that's such a shame." She smiled, leaning against the rather high front of the desk.

Hinata let her clear eyes close, sighing a fake sigh. "I know…I was really looking forward to lunch today." She smiled, pushing away from the desk slightly so she could open the drawer underneath the main of the desk and pull out a few forms the blonde would have to sign. "I'm gonna need you to sign these for me." With a few movements of her pen, she marked where to sign and handed them and the pen to Kirei.

Nodding, she took them and looked over each form before signing. "What _**is**_ for lunch today?" She asked, blue eyes glancing over to the Hyuuga.

"Oh, you know…" She replied, waving her hand as she lifted her head and reached for the blonde's vitamins, wanting to make sure everything was there. "just some fried rice, a few steamed veggies…some cinnamon rolls…"

Hearing her description, Kirei gulped quite thickly, all movement stopping. "Hinata, do you have a bathroom?" She asked quickly and doing her best to keep her mouth closed. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Hinata took notice, able to see how pale she'd become. "Right down the hall." She pointed, getting up quickly and following Kirei's quick pace.

She didn't understand why she felt so sick all of a sudden, nor what made her sick. She felt fine moments ago… As she ran into the bathroom and proceeded to empty her stomach into the bowl, she brushed off any thought of being sick. This had been happening for a while now, so it had to be something she was eating. Something in their fridge had to be bad.

"You alright, hun?" Hinata asked as she made her way into the bathroom in concern.

Wiping her mouth, Kirei sat on the ground and leaned against the wall before looking up to the Hyuuga. "Yeah…I'm fine. I think it's just something I've been eating…I've been getting sick a lot lately."

Dark blue eyebrow's twitched slightly. Kirei'd been feeling sick lately, huh? "Come with me for a minute." She said, offering her hand, suspecting something wasn't wrong with Kirei, but that her answer wasn't the right one.

Taking the Hyuuga's hand, she nodded, knowing that look and wondering what was on Hinata's mind. "Sure." But she trusted her enough to know that Hinata definitely knew what she was doing.

Leading her out of the bathroom, Hinata walked further down the hall, away from the desk, and pulled her younger friend into one of the exam rooms – her favorite one, with all the little teddy bear designs – and shut the door behind her. "Go ahead and sit on the table, sweetie." She began, motioning to the exam table next to the wall.

Getting a little more suspicious and nervous, the blonde did so, wondering what exactly was going on. "Should I be worried or anything?" She asked with a shaky voice, hoping that maybe she didn't have some special disease that could harm her.

"No, no…" Hinata began, chuckling softly to herself as she turned to face the Namikaze. She sighed softly, knowing she probably wasn't going to like the question she was about to ask. "Kirei, have you and Sasuke had sex within the last month or so?"

Immediately, Kirei's mouth dropped wide open, face turning a deep shade of burgundy.

Chuckling at her embarrassment, Hinata smiled. "I'll take that as a yes." Knowing she was a bit flustered and a bit humiliated at her bluntness, she moved on to her next question, clear eyes looking into blue. "Have you gotten your period yet this month?"

Kirei immediately knew what the Hyuuga was thinking. "Hinata, I'm not pregnant." She denied, hands moving with her words. "We've been really careful." She said, repeating the words that she wasn't pregnant in her mind. She couldn't be.

Hinata seriously doubted that. "Okay," She agreed anyway, wanting the blonde to feel a little more at ease. Something as big as a baby was not an easy thought to fathom. "but I think you should take a test just in case."

Running a hand through her hair to calm down, Kirei sighed a soft sigh. She knew she wasn't pregnant. She couldn't be with how careful they'd been. But she knew it was better to be safe than sorry. "…Alright."

As soon as she had everything she needed, Hinata left the room to run the test and get the results as quick as she could.

For Kirei, those few minutes of waiting for Hinata seemed to last forever and a day. It wasn't easy to grip that she was pregnant – not that she didn't want to be – but that she wouldn't be pregnant so soon. And she and Sasuke weren't even married yet!

Sighing and running a hand through her bangs again, Kirei closed her eyes to calm down. "I can't start thinking I am when I'm not." She mumbled to herself. There was no sense worrying over something that wasn't happening.

Yet…if she was…if and only if…they were completely unprepared! They had no nursery, no supplies for the baby, no training on how to handle a baby and most of all, they hadn't talked about anything yet. Sure, they had that talk years ago on the beach…but that wasn't nearly enough!

Picking up her head as she heard the door open, she looked to Hinata with hopeful eyes, hoping with all her heart, all her being that the Hyuuga'd say what she wanted her to say.

The Hyuuga didn't wear an expression of either or as she walked closer to the blonde, standing across from her. She sighed and looked into blue eyes. "…You're pregnant."

"I can't be." Her reply was immediate.

There was a soft smile on Hinata's face. "You are."

Blue eyes blinked a few times in shock before slowly falling to the floor, teeth biting her lip gently. She was pregnant. She had a baby, living and growing inside of her. A baby with Sasuke…but…. She had no job. They had nothing for it. Sasuke didn't even know!

They were so unprepared, it wasn't even funny.

Hinata could easily see all of this uncertainty in Kirei's face. "Honey," She began, leaning down to catch the blonde's sight. "it'll be okay. I'm sure Sasuke will be happy…and you've still got a lot of time to prepare."

Still biting her lip, Kirei looked down once more. She knew Hinata was right; She and Sasuke still had time to prepare and set up a room in the house and buy things…and she could hold off on a job for a while…

Sighing softly, her teeth released her lip as her blue eyes looked up to clear, smile on her face. They weren't ready yet and they probably wouldn't be…but so long as she and Sasuke were in it together, everything would be okay.

* * *

It was just about dark when Kirei returned home, still in shock from the news she'd received earlier in the day. She just couldn't believe that they hadn't been more careful…and that they hadn't seen this coming. Nevertheless, the baby was here. Alive. Growing, right now.

She couldn't even fathom getting rid of it, even if it was safe to be done. She couldn't forfeit someone's life, although they weren't born yet.

Setting her hand on the doorknob of the front door, Kirei took a deep breath and let her eyes close. She didn't know how she was going to tell him and she honestly didn't know how he was going to take it – well, she hoped – but she knew she had to tell him and prepared to do so.

Gathering up her courage she took one more deep breath before opening the door and walking inside.

"You're late." Were the first words out of her raven's mouth as he leaned on the wall close to the door, arms crossed. "I didn't think Hinata's would take that long." He continued, pushing off the wall and walking over to his blonde as she took off her shoes and shut the door behind her.

Keeping her eyes away from his, she smiled nervously. "There's a perfectly good reason for that." She answered, giggling softly as he wrapped her in a hug.

"Good, because I was worried." Sasuke spoke into her ear before kissing her golden locks. "I couldn't stop thinking that you'd gotten sicker." He held her for a few moments and then let her go, wondering why she wasn't saying anything. It also seemed strange that she wouldn't look at him.

Blue eyes were solely on the floor, hands playing with the sides of her jeans out of nervousness. "No, no…" She began softly, not understanding why she was like this. This was Sasuke she was talking to. Sure, he had problems listening and had a temper…but this was their child. He couldn't say no. "I'm perfectly healthy."

The Uchiha smiled when his Princess finally looked up to him, her blue eyes meeting his with a strange look in their depths. He opened his mouth to speak, but saw her gather her breath and waited for her to speak.

"Actually…" Her eyes diverted away before coming back to his. For some odd reason, she set a hand on her stomach, feeling as if it would help. "I'm…I'm pregnant."

Any train of thought Sasuke had on his mind was hopelessly lost, his mouth dropping open slightly. "Pregnant?" He asked quietly, trying to make sure this wasn't a joke.

Kirei could see the shock his face rather easily and continued. "Yeah…that's why I was late…and why I've been getting sick." Her eyes never stayed with him for more than a few seconds, always darting away as the smile slowly faded on her face. His silence wasn't something she could discern.

The raven was silent. His black eyes focused on the hand on her stomach, not wanting it to be true, yet knowing it was. Kirei wouldn't joke around with something so serious, something so important to the both of them. She had to be serious to come right out and say that she was…pregnant.

Pregnant. With child. With _**their**_ child. His son…or his daughter.

Slowly, Sasuke's mind began to overflow with thoughts about this very new and very unexpected curveball. Sure, he wanted kids. He wanted to have children with the love of his life…no matter if they were a boy or a girl…he wanted to be a father. He wanted to be a better father than what he had. He wanted a family that was better than his was someday.

Someday, was the keyword. Someday, farther than this, when they were married. When they were ready for it. When they planned it. When they actually had the supplies and the knowledge to give their children good lives.

Not something unexpected like this. He couldn't be the father he wanted to be in 9 months. He couldn't raise children in 9 months. 9 months wasn't as long as it seemed.

And he and Kirei weren't even married yet! They were just fiancés. And if Naruto found out…if Naruto found out that he and Kirei had had sex before they were married – even though it really wasn't any of his business – he'd want Sasuke's head on a platter. Scratch that. He'd _**have**_ Sasuke's head on a platter.

To the overwhelmed Uchiha, who wasn't ready whatsoever for what Kirei carried, even if it was their own, there was only one to solve a problem like this.

"Get rid of it."

Stepping back from him, blue eyes immediately looked to her Prince with disgust and shock. He…didn't want it? "Get…" Slowly, her breathing began to pick up, eyebrows heavily creased. "Get rid of it?" She asked incredulously.

"It's the only solution." He answered her, as if she should know that, keeping his eyes away from hers as thoughts continued to flow through his mind. They couldn't prepare for a baby in 9 months. They weren't ready for this. He wasn't ready for this.

"Solution?" She asked further, eyes gathering tears bit by bit. "Like this is a math problem?" She was met with no answer, watching him intently. She had to understand why he didn't want something so great…something with her. "So you don't want to have kids with me?"

Finally, he looked at her, shaking his head. "No, of course I want to!" He assured, black eyes never wavering. "But we're not ready for anything like this! We're not married, we've got no experience, we've got nothing for it! I'm not ready for this!"

The smile no longer existed on Kirei's face. "And you think I am?!" She shouted back, hand moving from her stomach to her chest. "I'm just as scared and overwhelmed as you are! But I had thought that if we were together, we could get through it!"

Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, Sasuke took a step toward his beloved and set his arms on her shoulders. "I don't care how you do it," He began, opening his eyes and looking dead into her blue eyes. "just get rid of it. Both of us are not ready for this in the least and this is the best way to deal with it."

For the longest time, Kirei stared right back into his black eyes, hers welling up with tears, scowl on her face. "The Sasuke I know and love would never tell me that. And you, certainly aren't him." Shoving his hands off of her shoulders with tears rolling down her cheeks, the blonde turned away and ran right back out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Wiping some of her tears away as she ran from the house and away from who she thought was the person who loved her, she thought about who to go to. She knew she should return home and deal with this problem since they were adults now, but she couldn't go back to him. She wouldn't.

She certainly couldn't go to Naruto, who'd have a full sized cow if he found out she was pregnant before she was married and to his best friend. He'd probably kill him a thousand times over if she repeated his words.

Before a second thought could convince her otherwise, Kirei ran to the only other person who'd helped her before, and hopefully, could help her now.

* * *

Hearing a frantic knock at her door minutes after her beloved little blonde had left her home, Hinata smiled, figuring it was Naruto. He always managed to forget something, or he was just doing it to kiss her again and make her smile.

Walking over as she shook her head, she wondered which one it was and if he really had forgotten something, she wondered what it was this time.

The smile vanished from the Hyuuga's face as soon as she opened the door. "Oh, my god, Kirei!" She cried, seeing her friend shaking from the cold, tears streaming from her red eyes. She rushed her inside as fast as she could.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Hina." The blonde spoke softly, teeth chattering as she was led to the couch. "I-I didn't know who else t-to go to." She continued to stutter, even as the blue haired sat her on the couch, unfolded and set a blanket over her shoulders.

Hinata knelt down to her friend's level, her hands holding the cold hands of the Namikaze. "It's okay." She reassured, clear eyes boring into blue. "It is perfectly okay you came here. I'm glad you did." It didn't take much for Hinata to figure out that Sasuke didn't take kindly to Kirei's news.

Closing her eyes tightly, she gripped Hinata's hands. "I just didn't know what to do." She sobbed softly, voice cracking. "He didn't…he didn't take it like I thought he would." She shook her head. "He told me to get rid of it like it was the solution to a math problem and I just can't do that. He can't expect me to get rid of something like this. I can't kill, Hinata."

The first thing the blue haired could think to do was to hug her friend. "It'll be okay, Kirei…" She told her, hoping she would believe her. "But right now," She continued, hands returning to Kirei's and gripping tightly as she looked into teary blue eyes. "You've _**got**_ to calm down. All of this stress is not good for you, nor for your baby."

Unable to speak for fear of crying even more, the Namikaze nodded, tears slowing, but still slipping down her cheeks.

A small smile slipped onto Hinata's lips, hoping to make the blonde smile too. "We'll figure something out. There's always more than one way. Sasuke might even warm up to the idea. Just give him some time…I'm sure this was a major shock to him, too." She said calmly and softly. "He'll come around, honey," She smiled even more. "because he loves you."

Everything Hinata said was true. It was always true. She always spoke with reason and understanding, she had to be right all the time. Sure, she wasn't always right, but it really seemed like she was, at least to Kirei. "I know he does." She spoke after a long silence.

The longhaired Hyuuga let out a sigh, knowing this was the start of Kirei calming down. "Now…I'm gonna get us some blankets and we'll watch a few movies, okay?" She asked, trying to catch the blonde's spaced out vision.

"Yeah…" She answered softly, glancing to her friend. "Thank you, Hinata. I don't know what I'd do without you."

The Hyuuga smiled and stood, giving the blonde another, tighter hug. "You're welcome, sweetie. I'll be right back."

Pulling the blanket closer to her, Kirei leaned back into the couch and brought her knees closer to her, eyes drifting as her mind thought.

Hinata was right. Sasuke could come around. There was another way than getting rid of a baby. There was always another way they could get through this. There was hope. Yet…as blue eyes looked down to her stomach, there was something else the blonde could feel within her.

Despite all the hope in the world, Kirei couldn't help but feel as if something was off. Something was wrong.

* * *

Well into the night and the next day, Sasuke's mind constantly thought about what he said and his course of action. He hadn't gotten any sleep because of it, but that was his own fault.

He hadn't thought everything out, just like every time before. He'd gone and acted on his emotions and ended up hurting his Princess. He had to apologize.

No matter what happened between him and his Princess, he had to apologize to her. No one deserved to be told what he told her. He knew better to tell her words like those and yet, he did anyway. He only did it because…well…

Sasuke was scared. A baby wasn't something like a mission. A mission was normally, short and relatively straightforward. A baby was not. A baby was…complicated. It was confusing and difficult. He'd heard many stories from other couples about how babies woke up at ungodly times of the night and screamed for their mother and father and caused fights. It sometimes tore couples apart.

Right now, the last thing he wanted was something tearing him and his Princess apart. He couldn't imagine being away from her again…and yet…

Something else in the Uchiha's mind told him he was over exaggerating. That maybe…just maybe, a baby wasn't so bad.

After all, they would have children someday…why couldn't they start now? They were young…and they still had time. They still had 9 months to prepare for a baby, and even if it wasn't enough, they could learn from others.

Plus, the thought of a little boy he could teach everything about the Sharingan to or a little girl he could overprotect and scare her future boyfriends didn't seem all that bad. To be honest, the thoughts of protecting his children and being a real, good father made him smile. He liked the thought of being better than the father he had.

Sighing as he realized he was getting closer and closer to the loft – and knowing Kirei was there thanks to a rather furious Hinata – Sasuke thought about everything he was going to do and say.

First, he'd apologize. No waiting, just as soon as they saw each other, he'd say it. Then, should she allow him, he'd hold her tight and continue to apologize to her for saying such an appalling thing. After that…they'd talk, civilly, about what they were going to do, since, they were in this together.

When Sasuke finally came upon the front door and stepped inside their home, he didn't find it the least bit odd that Kirei didn't come to greet him. He found it completely understandable that she was sitting, hunched over with her face in her hands on the end of the couch that was the furthest away from him. The crying he could understand too, since he did really upset her.

He slipped off his shoes before walking over to her slowly. "Princess?" He asked, hoping she would pull her face from her hands and look at him.

She didn't.

Sighing again, the Uchiha knelt, black eyes trying and hoping to meet blue. He gently set a hand on her shoulder and waited for her to shove him away. He took it as a good sign when she didn't, and gently rubbed her shoulder. "I'm sorry." Sasuke told her, looking up at her hands, hoping she'd uncover her face. "I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot for saying those words to you."

She continued to cry softly and made no notion toward him.

Creasing his eyebrows softly, Sasuke wondered if there was something more going on. Nevertheless, he continued. "I was just…overwhelmed and blindsided. I never thought you'd say that to me, at least, right now. Despite that, there's no reason for me to say something like that to you or lose control of my emotions. I never meant to hurt you." He explained, hoping this is what would make her do something.

All Kirei did was continue to cry.

The raven creased his eyebrows a bit more. "And when I thought about it," He continued, still looking up to her. "maybe a baby wouldn't be so bad. I mean…I've heard they're hell…but we've been through hell. With a little help, I'm sure we could do this. I'm sure you'll be a great mom…and I'll be a good dad."

With every word he spoke, his Princess began to cry even harder as she hunched a little more and hid her face. She couldn't tell him what happened. Not after that.

Sasuke knew now something was wrong. Something else was upsetting his blonde, enough that she'd forgotten what he'd said. "Kirei, what's wrong?" He asked, setting his hands on her wrists and gently tugging to get her to look at him. "Tell me what's wrong."

Kirei let her hands fall from her face, eyes closed as tight as they could be as she spoke with tears and whispers. "I…I had a miscarriage."

For the second time in two days, Sasuke stared with wide black eyes at his beloved Princess in shock as she cried even more, his hands losing the grip they held on hers. He didn't know what to say. How could he console her? What could he tell her to make her better? To make her know that it was okay?

He couldn't. But he had to do something.

Releasing her hands, he sat himself as close to her as he could get without actually sitting on her and wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulders, pulling her close to him. He kept his arms around her as tight as he could, her face buried into his chest, hands gripping his shirt tightly as she continued to cry.

Biting his lip before kissing her locks, he began to rock back and forth in some effort to calm her. "Shhhh…" He whispered into her ear, eyes closed tightly. "It'll be okay…It's going to be okay." He continued, knowing she probably wouldn't believe him. He wasn't sure if he believed it.

But what else could he say? There was nothing else to say. How do you console your beloved that losing your first child was okay?

Sasuke didn't know. For once, in his long time of knowing how to comfort the blonde he loved, Sasuke didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Sasuke, I'm having trouble hearing you. Can't you speak up?"

Hours had passed since his blonde told him about the future of their child. "No," He spoke softly into the phone, his other hand gently combing through his blonde's hair as she slept, using his lap for a pillow. "Kirei's asleep."

Hinata sighed. She should've known that, but at 2 in the morning, she wasn't going to assume things. Especially when it came to Sasuke and Kirei. "Okay…so tell me again."

The raven sighed, black eyes looking down to his blonde that still wept as she slept. "I came home and apologized." He began, trying to keep it short so he wouldn't have to remember this again. "She didn't move so I explained. When she didn't make any notion…I asked what was wrong."

"Okay…" The Hyuuga began, wondering why she'd been called. Everything seemed okay…maybe Kirei just wasn't accepting his apology yet. And if he honestly called her while she was sleeping to ask if she would forgive him, Hinata was seriously going to go over there and slap him a good one.

Black eyes looked to his beloved's red, closed eyes. "She had a miscarriage."

Immediately, the blue haired sat up in her bed, confusion set in on her face. Had she really heard him right?! "She had a miscarriage?!" She nearly screamed.

The raven nodded, brushing away her bangs. "Yes…a miscarriage."

Sighing one of the large sighs she ever had, Hinata ran her free hand over her face and through her hair. "This is horrible…I knew the stress wasn't good for her…" She mumbled to herself, eyes closing.

"I'm sorry." Was the reply. "This is my fault."

There was a part of Hinata that wanted to tell him it was his fault. It was his fault this happened because he didn't control his emotions. "No, no." Yet, there was a stronger part telling her that a lecture is not what Sasuke needed right now. "This is no one's fault." She corrected him, getting silence for an answer. "How did you get her to sleep?"

"Sleeping pills." Sasuke answered simply. "It was the only way I could get her to sleep. She wouldn't do anything else but cry."

The Hyuuga nodded, lying back in her bed and sighing once more. "I would expect her to cry for a while…she lost – "

"I know what she lost." The Uchiha cut her off, not wanting anyone to tell him again. He didn't want to remember this. He didn't want to know that their first child – his first shot at being a better dad than his – was gone. "I just want to know what I can do to help. I feel…useless…and I hate it."

Hinata resisted the urge to chuckle, even softly. That was definitely Sasuke. "Well…is Kirei in therapy?"

Somehow, Sasuke had already known this was coming. "No…her problems aren't that bad yet…to be honest, she was getting better."

She knew as well as anyone this was true. She'd seen it firsthand. "Sasuke, I strongly, _**strongly**_ suggest you get her in to see someone. As soon as you can, make an appointment with Yamato. I'm sure he'll help." She told him, knowing he was probably scowling at the mention of Sasuke's previous therapist. "He likes you."

"I know." Was the flat reply. "I'll call him sometime tomorrow…after I talk to Princess about it." He mumbled softly, eyes set upon his beloved. "I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't want to. Not after this. "

"I understand." Hinata replied, nodding slightly. "I'll write up a prescription for her…some pain meds, should she need them, and some sleeping pills, okay?" Leaning over to her nightstand, Hinata opened the top drawer and took out the pencil and notepad she left in there and wrote a note to remind herself.

Sasuke sighed softly. "Thank you, Hinata…thank you." He repeated, not knowing what else to say. "Just…" He began, making the Hyuuga stop writing.

"Yes?" She asked, knowing he was probably going to ask for something else.

"Would you mind delivering them to the loft?" The raven asked, black eyes fading out of focus. "I don't want to leave her."

A smile slowly crept onto Hinata's face as she heard his soft, very soft words. "Sure." She answered softly. "I won't tell anyone and I'll deliver them tomorrow around 10, okay?"

"Yeah." He answered, hoping he'd remember. With everything going on in his head, he was pretty sure he'd forget his own name if he didn't know it. "Sorry for waking you."

"It's okay," Hinata smiled, lying back down in her bed and pulling up the covers. "just get some sleep and stay with her." She told him, feeling sleep starting to drift over her eyes.

"Always." Sasuke replied as his heavy eyes closed. "Night." Ending the call, he quickly shut off his phone and set it aside. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Slipping out from under his Princess, he quickly went over to the front door and locked it, making sure no one, even that pesky blonde cousin of hers, would bother them.

Going back over to his beloved, Sasuke did his best to pick her up as gently as he could and went upstairs to their room, further assuring that no one could bother them.

Kirei stirred as soon as he set her down, she picking up her head and propped up her elbow, feeling all of her energy gone. "Sasuke?" She asked softly, unable to see him in the darkness of their room.

"I'm right here." The Uchiha answered as he settled beside her, his arms pulling her close to him.

She could feel his kiss on the top of her head as she grabbed onto his t-shirt and borrowed her face into his chest. "I love you." She spoke softly, nuzzling his chest. She had said it many times before, and he already knew it, but she had to say it. She had to tell him what he meant to her. He had to know she loved him.

Closing his eyes, he kissed the top of her head once more and gripped her small frame tightly. "I love you, too." He answered her, knowing he had to tell her as well. He had to make sure she knew he loved her.

No matter what happened between them, if he got upset and yelled at her, or she lost something so precious to the both of them, he still loved her and she still loved him.

They were in this together, and together, no matter what, they would remain.


	24. Bonds

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ I'm sorry it's been so long. I feel like I'm always apologizing to you guys. It's been a busy time, even though I've had time to upload. It's weird, honestly. I did get a review today for The Actors from a girl named Katie, and if she reads this, I would love to thank her. She gave one of the best reivews I've ever had and honestly inspired me to finish uploading this story and continue work on my next one. So thank you, Katie, and of course, all of my readers :) Please enjoy the second to last chapter of Fact Vs. Fiction and The Actors Saga :)

Thank you for reading and supporting me! :D

* * *

_Chapter 24 – Bonds_

* * *

Opening the door to their calm, peaceful and dark home, Sasuke held the door open for his Princess before heading inside himself, hoping that they'd be able to take a nice, long nap before doing anything tonight.

Knowing how tired he was, Kirei took his Shippuden bag from his shoulder before he could protest and threw it aside as she kicked her shoes off. As if on the same wavelength, she let out a large yawn, which earned her a chuckle.

Shutting the door after he came inside and also took his shoes off, he saw the yawn and responded by reaching out and tousling her hair, his other hand rubbing his tired face. "Let's take a nap." He mumbled, continuing to rub his face, eyes closed. As if it was contagious, he also let out a large yawn.

Her eyes were closed as well, both of her hands reaching to the one that sat on her head. "Mm-hmm." She mumbled back, gently tugging him to the couch.

The raven shuffled his feet as he followed his blonde, tugging on her hand to stop her when they finally reached the long couch that they seemed to sleep on frequently. Without words, he settled on the couch first and smiled when he felt his blonde crawl close to him seconds later. "Cold?" He muttered, shifting around as she nestled against him, her ear close to his heart.

"Mm-mm." The blonde shook her head as much as she could, smiling when she heard the familiar beat she'd missed.

Close to silence fell between the two since there was always some form of music playing, due to Kirei's fear of silence. The blonde slowly drifted off to sleep, her breathing deep and even and the Uchiha would have been, had his mind not coasted off into thought.

A few weeks had passed since their tragedy and, amazingly, none of their friends knew about it. Sasuke knew very well that Hinata wouldn't tell a soul, but he figured _**someone**_ would have noticed the change in the couple. For a while after Kirei received her degree, she hadn't been at the film grounds at all – due to her trying to find a job – and was very rarely seen by their friends.

Yet, after the tragedy, she was at the grounds every day with him, always as close to him as she could get. During breaks, they sat together, he holding her and telling her sweet words to make the pain go away.

It was such an extreme difference, Sasuke thought someone would've noticed. Sure, people came up to them and asked if they wanted to go out after filming for dinner or ask if they wanted something from the snack table, but they hadn't really bothered them about what was going on.

Sighing heavily, Sasuke had to admit he was thankful for it. He wasn't going to complain if his friends weren't going to meddle in his life.

Although it wasn't really all that great right now, what with losing his child, he could see it was slowly getting better, as was the blonde now asleep on him. She was still very much depressed, even thought she tried her best to hide it. Kirei smiled whenever anyone, even him, asked if she was okay and laughed and giggled like she normally did…but the raven who knew better than anyone could see something missing. She was hiding from everyone how depressed she really was, and although he didn't know the full extent of it, he knew one very important and very upsetting fact.

Sasuke could not help her. He could tell her it wasn't her fault in the least until he was blue in the face and had no voice, but she wouldn't believe him. There were questions running through her mind that he couldn't answer for her and those were the questions that would help her.

He had already called Yamato and asked for a favor – despite how much he really didn't want to owe the brunette any favors – and after hearing few details, his therapist was more than happy to make room in his busy schedule for the blonde who had almost completely changed Sasuke. But the Uchiha still had to talk to Kirei about it.

He didn't want to force her to go, nor back her into a corner and guilt her into going. There was enough guilt and pain in her heart; he didn't need to cause any more. Yet, he really thought it best that she go see him.

He wasn't sure of how she'd react to the suggestion of therapy, and honestly, it scared him a little. Kirei might be like him, refuse to go and run away from her problems, which of course he could help her cope and understand why she felt that way and convince her to go. But what if she willingly went? What if she actually wanted to go all this time, but didn't because of how he felt about it? What if –

"You're thinking too much again." Kirei spoke softly, eyes still closed, breathing deep and even. "If you have something to ask me…" She began, feeling him tense slightly as his heartbeat increased a little more. "just ask."

Before Sasuke could respond at all, his cell phone in his bag began to ring, making the both of them leave their slightly sleepy state.

Kirei picked up her head and looked to the bag before turning back to her Prince. "I'll get it." She smiled softly, wanting her raven to stay put. He'd done so much for her these past few weeks that she really needed to start taking care of him in some effort to repay him.

Sitting up as she left the couch and his embrace, Sasuke felt a shiver run through his spine, feeling the cold air rush to the warmth of where she had been laying. He watched her rummage through his bag and finally pick up his phone. "Who is it?" He asked, rubbing his eyes before running through his hair.

The blonde came back to the couch, phone in hand, and sat close to her beloved, also feeling that same cold air run over the warmth of where she'd been laying. "It's Nii-san." She said before flipping open the phone and pressing it to her ear. "Hi, Nii-san."

The elder blonde let out a silent sigh of relief as he sat on the couch of the Hokage Manor. He was hopping Kirei would answer. "Hi, Nee-chan. Were you sleeping?" He asked, able to hear the tiredness in her voice.

She nodded, despite him not being able to see it. "Mm-hmm. Sasuke and I were just about to take a nap." She answered, leaning against the one beside her as her eyes shut.

"I'm glad I caught you before you were asleep then." He chuckled, knowing Sasuke would probably kill him for waking them up. "Nee-chan…I wanted to ask you something."

Kirei ruffled her eyebrows slightly, lips turning up into a slight smile. It seemed to be that everyone wanted to ask her something today. "Sure…" She yawned.

"Well…" He drawled, not sure of how he wanted to word his question. "I've noticed a change in you, Nee-chan." He stated, keeping his voice calm and level. "I don't know if it's something between you and Teme…but I wanted to make sure you're okay."

So…Naruto had seen through her mask, huh? "Yeah," She answered, a tone of depression in her voice. She knew if anyone could tell, he could, and hoped that she'd fooled him. "I'm fine. Really, Nii-san."

Naruto wasn't going to believe that, able to hear that tone in her voice. He narrowed his eyes and pressed the subject. "Are you sure? I just want to make sure you're happy."

Kirei's eyes remained closed, a small smile on her face as she sighed. "I'm sure." She answered, wanting him to believe her. Sure, she was lying, but she really didn't want to be nagged about being okay. "I'm just a little under the weather, that's all."

There was another tone in her voice, this one much different. She seemed more aggravated, which just told Naruto she was lying. But it also told him she didn't want to talk about it. "Okay, Nee-chan. Feel better soon."

"Thank you." She answered in relief, smile still very small. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night." He replied, knowing he wouldn't get to tell her so later.

With another yawn she clipped the phone shut and set it beside her, never moving her head from Sasuke's shoulder. She was absolutely thankful Naruto'd taken her word and dropped the subject about her being happy. Yeah, she was lying straight to his face but she really didn't want to talk about it.

Just like Orochimaru, the miscarriage was the in the past and that was where it would remain.

"You're lying." Sasuke finally spoke after a few minutes, voice low yet soft. He knew she was lying to everyone else, but enough was finally enough for him.

Sitting up, blue eyes opened and looked into black as she turned toward him, confusion set on her face. She opened her mouth to retort, but what could she say to that? If she asked him how he knew, that was just confirming it and there wasn't a way she could deny it.

She couldn't lie straight to Sasuke's face.

He kept his eyes and voice soft, still looking at her when she looked away. "Kirei…you always know when I have something I want to ask you because you can tell by the way I act. Apparently, my heart beats a little fast when I'm thinking about what I want to ask you…"

He received a small smile and giggle out of the blonde and smiled in return. "Yeah…" She mumbled, glancing back up to black eyes.

"I know you're unhappy. I can see it in your eyes that you're still upset, despite how much you try to hide it. I know you just as well as you know me." He explained, watching as her smile fell from her face. He expected that.

She looked away from him, a very depressed and heavy sigh leaving her mouth as she leaned into him once more, this time, being pulled close to him. "What else could I say?" She began, resting her head against his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her like they always did. "What else could I tell him? That I was pregnant and I had a miscarriage? How could I tell him that? How could I tell him how I really feel and expect him to fix everything?" She asked, voice cracking with each question she asked.

Sasuke held his Princess a little tighter, knowing exactly what was coming.

"How can I tell him it's my fault?" She closed her eyes tight, burrowing into her Prince's chest.

"Losing the baby is _**not**_ your fault." He stressed, speaking into the hair near her ear. "We all have faults, Princess. I can't control my emotions and my temper. I've always been that way and that's what a fault is. Something that's wrong with us, that's been wrong with us since we were children." He explained, knowing it wouldn't convince her anyway. "Losing a baby is not a fault, nor is it your fault."

Kirei remained silent, her eyes still tightly shut. That was all true. Everything was true. But there was still a part of her that told her, convinced her that losing the baby was her fault. There wasn't any reason behind it, like she wouldn't be a good mother or that she wasn't fit. It was just that it was her fault for losing the baby and that was it.

Sasuke already knew this. "And because you won't believe me…" He never thought he'd find himself saying those words, but still kept his voice calm, arms tight. "I really think you should talk to Yamato."

"I won't." She immediately refused, shaking her head against his chest. She knew who the man was, having heard few stories from Sasuke about the therapist. "I'm not telling a complete stranger everything about me or my past." Her voice may have been cracking, but she was absolutely adamant. "That's my business, not anyone else's."

"Princess, he's not going to judge you." The raven replied, knowing exactly how she felt. He felt that way almost 10 years ago. "He helps you understand why you feel the way you feel…" He sighed softly, remembering a story that just might convince her. "When you were gone, he helped me realize why I'm so lost without you here."

Kirei relaxed, if only slightly and opened her eyes, looking up to the Uchiha to find his eyes on her. "Really?"

He nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. I knew it deep down…but I'd forgotten it…" He glanced away in remembrance before looking back to her blue eyes. "You were the first person I'd ever met to know everything that happened in my past, understand what I went through and still cared as much as you did."

Her jaw dropped if only slightly, blue eyes softening as much as they could. She knew how much he loved her…but to know she was the first person who actually cared what he went through was more than she realized.

Closing his eyes, he gripped her waist tight and set his head against hers. "He'll help you understand it's not your fault. I can't convince you…I can't answer the questions for you, but he can help you answer them for yourself, Kirei."

For once, he had a very sound argument that wasn't selfish. He really wanted her to go see Yamato…for her own sake, even if he was unhappy because she was unhappy. Even if he wasn't the one helping her, he still wanted her to go.

"Kirei." He began, drawing her eyes to his own, wanting her to hear his next words. "It's hard for me to ask you to go to someone else for help, when I've always been the one to help you…but it's harder for me to sit here and see you unhappy and not be able to help you."

It wasn't easy, but she tore her eyes away and leaned against him once more, trying to decide. She didn't want to go to Yamato. She didn't want strangers to know everything about her. But she hadn't realized what her unhappiness was doing to Sasuke.

Gripping his shirt gently, she burrowed her face into his chest, wondering how she could've been so selfish. How could she have been so wrapped up in her own questions and depression to not see what it was doing to her Prince? How in the world could she have been so selfish as to lie to everyone she loved about how she was really feeling?

"I'm so sorry…" She mumbled against his chest, beginning to realize what her depression had been doing to him. "…I'll go see Yamato…" She continued, knowing it was for the best. She may have hated it, but if it fixed everything that was going wrong, she'd go.

Once her words registered in his brain, Sasuke held her as close as he could and kissed the crown of her head.

However, she wasn't finished. "But I'll only go on one condition and it's a deal breaker." She continued, voice very adamant. "You have to be there with me." She burrowed just a little deeper, eyes closed tight. "…I can't tell everything twice…I can't go through that alone again…"

Sasuke knew Yamato wouldn't like it. He only liked him and the patient together in the room. Loved ones were strictly prohibited…but he could deal with it. Sasuke couldn't leave her alone again. He wouldn't. "I probably won't be allowed to speak – "

"I don't care." She replied quickly, voice cracking once again. "So long as you're beside me."

Lying back on the couch with a soft but heavy sigh, Sasuke held his blonde and petted her hair, chuckling softly. "Princess," He began, smiling softly as he kissed the crown of her head, beckoning her to look to him. When she did, he smiled a little more. "I'll always be beside you."

Unable to stand still for more than a moment, Kirei took the deepest breath she could as she paced back and forth outside of Yamato's office, waiting for him to open the door and her first therapy session to begin.

Glancing over to his blonde as he flipped through a random book he'd picked from the bookcase, Sasuke smiled softly at her and put the book back on the shelf. "It's okay to be nervous, Princess." Turning toward her, his smile widened just a little bit more as he walked over to her, already knowing she was nervous.

Eyes closed, she continued to pace back and forth, hands instinctively playing with the hem of her shirt and with the other hand.

With her lack of response, the raven figured his blonde hadn't heard him and waited until she turned her back to him before reaching out and wrapping his arms around her waist, hands reaching hers and holding them with an assuring grip. "Relax." He pulled her just a little closer, and smiled a bit more when she sighed a deep sigh.

She honestly wanted to tell him it wasn't as easy as telling her to relax, but he probably already knew that. He already knew she was anxious about meeting Yamato, let alone telling him everything about what happened to her, and probably knew she was more than just nervous.

For a long time after Orochimaru, Kirei had a fear of meeting new people, always wondering if they were just the Snake himself or Kabuto in disguise, as the medic-nin had been when they first met. She eventually got over the fear and felt a little safer with meeting Yamato, only because Sasuke knew him and considered him a trustworthy friend.

Yet, she was still very apprehensive. There were a lot of things that went on at Orochimaru's, and a lot of painful memories in her past that she had a very good feeling were going to be dug up. Actually, she was adamant they were going to be dug up and she really didn't want to tell a complete stranger everything about her life.

Sure, she'd promised Sasuke she'd see Yamato. She promised him, as long as he was there with her, she would talk about what happened with Orochimaru.

Despite her promise, and what she'd do to keep it, she still didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to be judged or to be subjected to tell a therapist about her life and expect him to fix her like she was broken.

And despite her want to not tell him, there was another feeling other than her nervousness and apprehension that made her want to tell him. She knew for a while what her depression had been doing to her and her beloved and within her today was a feeling of excitement.

It wasn't that she was excited to tell someone something she held so close to her heart, but that she was excited all of her paranoia and depression would be gone. Everything that was plaguing her would be gone and maybe, just maybe, she and Sasuke could move on with their lives.

Maybe they could be happy again.

"I'm not…nervous…" She began softly, eyes still closed as she sighed once more. "I'm just…" She had no words to describe how she was feeling.

"I know." The Uchiha answered her, thankful that his blonde had braided her hair today, leaving her slender neck just begging him to nuzzle and kiss it. "I felt the same way when I first started therapy."

A small smile slipped onto the blonde's lips, eyes still closed. "The first or second time?" She asked, barely able to hold back her giggles.

That same smile found its way to his lips, knowing she was only joking with him. "Both." He answered rather seriously, although he didn't want her to stop smiling or giggling. There was no guarantee she was going to be smiling when they started the session, so he was going to keep her smiling until that time came.

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, but found her words engulfed with a fit of giggles. "Sasuke!" She cried softly, doing her best to squirm out of his grip as he trailed kisses over the back of her neck. "Stop it!"

Eyes open only a sliver, watching his beloved blonde, he smiled even more, hands gripping hers. "Stop what?" He replied with a sly smile before continuing his kisses.

For a few moments, Kirei continued to squirm only because he was currently tickling her, but shortly after, her squirming became a little more urgent as her smile turned a little more serious.

Sasuke noticed the change and wondered why she would honestly want him to stop making her laugh until a certain voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

"I see you found something to do while waiting." Yamato could barely hold back a chuckle, let alone his shock. Sure, he knew the Uchiha was capable of love – and, dear god, a smile – but never did he ever think the Uchiha would actually show it in public!

Almost immediately Sasuke let go of his beloved, onyx eyes avoiding equally black eyes as he shifted uncomfortably and stepped beside her, already feeling a blush spread across his face. "Hn." He replied softly, cursing at himself for not checking to make sure Yamato was standing there. He was never going to let him live this down.

Regaining some of his composure, the brunette smiled at the blonde who seemed just as embarrassed as Sasuke and motioned toward the open office door. "Why don't we head inside?" He asked, knowing the raven would probably kill him if he even thought about bringing up their embarrassment. Well…probably wasn't the right word. Most likely seemed to fit better.

Blue eyes looked from the brunette to her raven in assurance and comfort. Letting her hand slip into his and feeling the grip he placed upon it, she nodded to the therapist and with a deep breath, walked into the room.

Following her with a slight blush still on his face, Sasuke knew that with each step she took, all of her feelings of nervousness and apprehension were returning. He knew only because it happened to him every day he came to this place. But unlike him, she had someone there to assure her everything would be okay and gripped back to tell her so.

Yamato was the last to enter his office, the door slowly closing behind him as he made his way to the desk seated across from the couch. Despite his movements, his eyes were still with the couple in front of him, half in awe and half in shock. Shock because of how Sasuke seemed to be completely different with the Namikaze and awe because of the fact that she was the only one who had seen this side of him.

He'd known Sasuke for a long time, longer than any of his patients and he had never, not once, seen him act like this. He'd never seen the toothy smile of the Uchiha, nor heard any amount of laughter at all. He had always been the dark, broody Sasuke that everyone knew.

Eyes shifting to the blonde as she looked around the room, hand still with Sasuke's, a smile found itself on Yamato's lips. He'd heard a little about her before from Sasuke himself, but whoever this Namikaze was, she was definitely an interesting girl. "Why don't we get introductions out of the way?" He asked calmly, walking toward his new patient and extending his hand. "I'm Yamato."

It was rather obvious the blonde was quite nervous, which was expected of new patients, but looked to him and smiled rather confidently. "Namikaze….well…" She faltered, casting a glance and a happy smile to her raven. "Soon to be Uchiha Kirei." Returning her eyes to Yamato's, she retained her smile and shook his hand.

"Congratulations." He replied happily, looking to both of them. When he'd talk to Sasuke all those years ago, there was no doubt in his mind that if Kirei had made it out alive, they'd be engaged rather quickly. "I'm happy for you." He spoke to the raven, since he didn't know Kirei all that well yet.

"Thanks." The raven graced him with a word, barely glancing up to the therapist.

Sighing softly, the therapist clapped his hands together and looked back and forth between the two. "Now that that's over…" He turned around, heading for his desk to find the information sheet he'd just made for his new patient. "Why don't you go ahead and have a seat, Namikaze-san and we'll get started?"

Both she and Sasuke did so, sharing a glance as they knew what was coming.

Sitting down at his desk, Yamato looked up and blinked, making sure he was seeing straight. Sasuke was still here? He definitely knew of the therapists' rules when it came to sessions…so why was he still here? "Sasuke," He began with a smile, figuring the Uchiha to be overprotective with the blonde. With everything that happened between the two, he certainly didn't blame him. "I assure you that Kirei-chan is in good hands. You can return in an hour."

Holding his hand, blue eyes looked to her raven in assurance before looking back to Yamato. "No." She said with a plain, but adamant voice. "He stays here. You don't get me without him." Her eyes never left Yamato's.

Blinking once more in shock, black eyes suddenly narrowed in doubt. He could already tell by the way she acted that Kirei had dependency issues, but he seriously doubted she was the one who suggested Sasuke staying. He knew how forceful and apparently overprotective the Uchiha was and had a very good feeling Sasuke put her up to saying that. "I'm sorry," He began, looking to both of them. "But Sasuke knows my rules. It's only the patient – "

"He's already informed me." She cut him off, voice a little shaky while her eyes remained adamant with his. She may not have been keen on coming here, or arguing with her new therapist, but she was sure as hell that Sasuke was going to stay right there beside her. "I understand that you don't like to have loved ones here. But I need him here. There are things I'm going to say that I can't repeat and there are things I feel that I just can't say and I want him to know all of it. I don't care if he can't hold my hand or comfort me in any way. I cannot and I will not go through this alone again."

So she had self-esteem issues too. Letting out a soft sigh as he ran a hand over his face and through his hair, the brunette knew he couldn't convince her otherwise. Once a Namikaze decided something, there was no changing their mind. "Fine." He relented after a few moments of silence. "But you must do everything for yourself. I won't tolerate him helping you."

She nodded, hand gripping his slightly as she tried not to smile so much. "I know." She shot another look to her beloved. "There are a lot of things that we're probably going to talk about that I can't say twice…and I want him to know what I've been through." She added, looking back to her new therapist.

He could understand that. More than a few of his patients had been through even worse traumatic events and believed they couldn't be without the person they loved, the person who supported them the most. In those cases, when it was so drastic that they needed that person to understand what they went through, Yamato supplied a tape recorder to record the sessions, that way, they could both be satisfied. Many weren't happy with it, but it solved the problem.

Despite how they thought he was just a bastard for not letting loved ones sit in, there was a justifiable reason as to why Yamato didn't allow anyone other than the patient to sit in. Usually, the person who wanted to sit in was a loved one, a supporter – in this case, a fiancé – who had deep feelings for the patient. Because of the love and feelings they had for the patient, who was usually going through many difficult emotions and trials, they ended up comforting and protecting the patient, feeling that that's what the patient needed.

In all truths, comforting and protecting them from those difficult emotions and trials only hurt the patient more. It made it much harder for them to talk about what happened, which just resulted in further depression and harder sessions.

One such supporter and lover like Sasuke, a man that was overprotected and very in love with his blonde was definitely one of the ones a therapist would never allow in sessions. Seeing his beloved in torment and pain would provoke his helplessness and make him angry – something Sasuke was extremely good at – and either hurt Yamato for making her hurt or comfort his blonde, which would hurt her in the long run.

Thinking about it now, Yamato was pretty sure it would be both. He was damn sure it would be both, and him being hurt would be the very first thing to happen.

And yet, as he thought further, a supporter and lover like Sasuke, who had been through therapy more than once knew what had to happen to make everything right. He knew that his love would have to go through pain and torment to understand why she felt the way she felt and how to fix it, without him helping her. It would be hard for the Uchiha, who had probably helped her since the moment they met, but if anyone could do it, he could.

It was just the fact of guessing which way Sasuke would react. He could be one or the other, or possibly both.

Sighing once more, Yamato let the thought slip from his mind. Deciding how Sasuke would react could be decided when the time came. "You should enjoy today, Kirei-chan." He started after a few moments of silence, his hand reaching for the drawer on his right and opening it to find a pencil. "Out of all the sessions we have, today will be the easiest for you because it's simply a learning lesson." Finding something to write with, the therapist shut the drawer and looked to the blonde, offering a smile.

"So…" She began, perking up almost instantly. "you're just going to ask me questions?"

He nodded. "Precisely."

"Okay." She nodded in return, a confident smile on her face. "I can deal with that."

Looking down at the list of general questions he had, Yamato sighed softly and looked back to the Namikaze. "Before coming to Konoha, what was your family like? Did you have any brothers or sisters?" He knew he'd been told that Kirei had a brother from Sasuke, but couldn't remember exactly. It had been nearly two year, after all.

"My mother died during childbirth." Kirei began, eyes darting away to the floor for an instant. "My father left when I was young. My older brother was the one who raised me. He died when I was 14."

So it was a brother. "And what was his name?" He asked, pencil poised in his hand.

There was a moment of silence from the blonde, teeth biting her lip gently before she looked to him with rather saddened eyes. "Mm-mm. Just refer to him as my brother." She answered, eyes darting away once more.

Making a note of the refusal to say his name, Yamato simply continued. "And when did you come to Konoha?"

The smile returned to the Namikaze's lips, remembering her first few days in the large city. "When I was 17. I traveled around for a while after my Nii-san passed."

Skipping over the next few questions because they mainly dealt with parents, which she really didn't have, he wondered how well she was going to go through the next set. "And it was in that first year you were kidnapped by Akatsuki, correct?"

Sasuke shot a slightly concerned glance to his beloved, knowing how well she was with questions about Akatsuki, let alone Orochimaru and watched her answer.

She nodded, not at all phased by the question. "Yes. It was in the fall, if I remember correctly. I was there for about six months."

"And speaking generally, what happened there?" He asked, not wanting to know specific details, but simply what went on during that time of her life.

Kirei bit her lip once more, feeling old, buried memories rise from the grave she'd put them in long ago. "Honestly…nothing truly traumatic happened. I wasn't beaten or tortured…" She shook her head slightly, eyes unfocused as they stared into nothing. "I was just…depressed and lonely."

Watching her almost intently, a look of surprise took Sasuke's features, eyebrows knitting in slight confusion. It was obvious she'd feel that way, he already knew she had, but she'd never said anything before about it. When it came to Akatsuki at the time, she never said anything. Not even to him.

"You were home for about three months after that?" He questioned, seeing it on the chart Minato had provided him upon learning his niece would be getting therapy.

She nodded. "Yeah, about that." Her eyes glazed over once more. "I was with Orochimaru for nine months after those three."

Watching her body language and hearing the tone in her voice, Yamato knew that her memories with Orochimaru would be the toughest to deal with. "You returned in late May." He added, receiving a nod from the blonde. "Now that that's out of the way…what do you like to do, Kirei-chan?"

Blue eyes returned to the brunette, her head tilting slightly. "Like a hobby?"

He nodded, pencil still ready to write as quickly as she could speak.

Once again, her smile returned as she began to think. "I like to paint…and draw. Art is very much a hobby for me and I try very hard to excel at what I do."

There was a slight chuckle from the raven beside her, and finding that both were looking at him, explained. "Trust me, she's very good at artsy stuff."

The therapist smiled and returned his sight to Kirei. "Please, continue."

She nodded. "I also like to sing…at least, every once in a while…I watch a lot of movies, mostly hand drawn movies…" Biting her lip in thought, she tried to think of something else to say and chuckled slightly. "In all honesty, I'm a very boring person." She laughed.

He laughed as well, usually getting that reaction from his patients. It was hard to think of everything you liked right on the spot. "And what do you want to do with your future, Kirei-chan?"

For a long moment she shared a glance with Sasuke, almost as if she needed assurance. "I want to get a job." She answered him, returning her gaze. "I want to do something more than just being a housewife or being a painter."

The smile on Yamato's face grew slightly as he finished writing what she'd told him and as soon as he did, he looked up to the blonde. "Well…congrats, Kirei-chan." He began, smiling even more at her confused look. "You've just survived your first session of therapy."

A broad smile took the Namikaze's lips. "Really?" She asked incredulously, not believing it in the least. She thought it would be much harder than that.

Yamato continued to smile. "Really." He nodded, knowing the blonde was in a bit of disbelief.

As soon as she had been convinced it really was over and she could go home with her beloved, another appointment was scheduled almost a week from this very day. She didn't know it yet, but the real therapy started then.

With a wave and a smile from Kirei, the two departed, leaving Yamato engulfed in a room of silence. He waited for only a few moments, then pushed away from his desk, his chair rolling to the window. Peaking out of it, he waited until he saw the couple walking away to pull out his phone.

It was obvious there was nothing he could do about separating the two, but there was a higher power who might be able to help him. After dialing, he pressed the phone to his ear, waiting for him to answer.

"Ah, hello, Yamato." The rather upbeat voice of the Hokage spoke. "I didn't expect a call from you today."

The brunette chuckled, keeping his sight on the blonde who became harder and harder to see in the crowd of people. "Yes, I know," He replied. It wasn't often he called the Yondaime, but on some occasions they did speak. "but I have some news that might be new to you."

"Oh really?" The blonde answered, a tone of surprise in his voice. There weren't any ninja in Yamato's care…so who was this about?

"I just finished a session with your niece, Minato." He informed, expecting silence from the other end. "Kirei, correct?"

Minato was a little more than shocked. "Y-yes, that's her." He stumbled, wondering why Kirei hadn't called and told him. Maybe she just hadn't called him yet. "Should I be worried that she's seeing you, Yamato?"

Unable to see her anymore, the therapist turned from the window and reclined in his chair, eyes scanning the answers he'd received. "No, there's no need to worry. I have a strong feeling that Sasuke was the one who asked her to see me. It seems, according to what he said over the phone, that things have been building up in her mind and he was worried for her."

The Hokage let out a sigh of relief.

"Although…" Yamato drawled, glancing away from the paper as he leaned back a little farther.

Holding his breath only slightly, that worry Minato thought he was feeling came right back into his gut.

"It seems that your niece and Sasuke are very much…" He looked up in thought, trying to find the right words. "attached at the hip, so to speak."

Letting out his breath with a laugh, he suddenly felt a little more at ease. "Yes…they've been through quite a lot together."

"I understand that…but Kirei-chan has given me an ultimatum that I'm not fond of." He tried to put it in the lightest terms he knew. "It seems that instead of just her and I…she has made it perfectly clear she will not come to the sessions unless Sasuke is the room with us."

A smile slipped onto the Hokage's lips, his eyes darting to the "family" photo taken at the first Red Carpet many years ago. "That certainly sounds like her."

Yamato sighed, not doubting him for a moment. "I let it go for today…but I was hoping that maybe you could…do something about it? Make it clear that they need to be separated?"

Minato let out a scoff almost immediately, followed by chuckles. The brunette clearly didn't understand. "Not even death could separate those two, Yamato."

"I see." He huffed silently. "Thanks anyway. Good bye."

The Hokage nodded. "Anytime." With a click, the line cut off.

Setting down his phone, Yamato took a deep sigh and scrunched his nose, letting his head fall over the edge of the chair.

Not even death could separate them, huh?

* * *

More than a week had passed after their first session together. Everything had gone by smoothly and yet, as Kirei sat in the same spot on the couch, waiting for Yamato to come back from the copier room, she was still nervous.

Granted, it was nothing like before, but she still had doubts in her mind. She always would – since she was human – but really hoped they'd at least be a little more settled.

"Sorry for the wait." Yamato began as he stepped into the room with a few papers in his hands and shut the door behind him. "The copier was jammed earlier and I hadn't realized the time." He explained, walking over to his desk.

"That's okay," She smiled, watching him as he collected a few papers. "unlike Sasuke, I'm patient."

"Hey." The raven began, faking his hurt.

The Namikaze shot a grin to her beloved, able to tell he was joking.

Yamato was also smiling because she was right. The Uchiha was impatient when it came to anything. "Before we get started, I just have some forms I need you to fill out, Kirei-chan. You know, for the lawyers." He rolled his eyes, picking up a pen and handing both the pen and the papers to the blonde.

She nodded, smile a little more reserved. "Yeah," She laughed. "I'll be quick for his sake." She motioned to Sasuke, who scowled playfully.

So he was an impatient bastard. He didn't like to wait. Was that such a crime?

Returning her smile, the brunette cast a glance to Sasuke, motioning for him to meet Yamato a few feet away from her.

He creased his eyebrows, but stood and walked with the therapist, wondering what was up. "Is something wrong?" He asked, voice hushed.

"No, no…" The brunette assured, glancing back to the blonde to make sure she couldn't hear them. "I just want to make it perfectly clear that today is not going to be remotely as easy as a week ago." His eyes bored into equally black eyes.

Sasuke nodded, remembering how his first official day went. "I know."

Yamato still wasn't convinced. "Sasuke, you must promise me, that no matter what goes on, you will not intervene." His words were soft, but adamant.

Again, the raven nodded. "Yamato, please," He set his hand on the man's shoulder. "I understand what needs to happen. I know what needs to happen for her to get better. I won't intervene." He assured, voice just as adamant.

With an assured nod, the brunette turned away from the raven, his focus shifting to the blonde on the couch who had just finished the forms. "I'll take those from you." He said, offering a smile as he took the papers and set them on his desk.

"Thank you." She replied, smile a little less reserved as Sasuke sat next to her as he always did. It became smaller when the therapist turned to her, his serious look telling her the real session was about to begin.

"Kirei-chan," He began, voice level as he leaned against his wooden desk. "if I recall, the other day you refused to tell me your brother's name." He started, getting straight to the point. "Can you explain why you refused?"

Ruffling her eyebrows slightly, suspicion set well within the blonde's heart. She knew today wasn't going to be easy, but starting by talking about Daisuke? "Well…" She began, unsure of what to say as her eyes deflected to the floor. "I've always been that way about his name. I don't like strangers saying it…I guess…I feel as if…they'll use it in vain or that they aren't worthy enough to use it." She did her best to answer.

Black eyes watched their blonde, blinking at first as they came to understand. He never understood why, at least when they first met, she hadn't said his name, but that certainly made sense when it came to her.

"They aren't worthy enough?" Yamato repeated, eyebrow raised in confusion.

She nodded, eyes still on the floor. "Yeah…" She replied slowly. "Because they didn't know him. They didn't know how great he was…so they don't have the right to use his name."

His eyebrow returned to normal, seeing some logic in her statement. "Tell me about the relationship you shared. Exactly how close were you, when he was alive?" He asked, already knowing the blonde would be apprehensive about answering. "How did you two act toward each other?"

Her hands grasped gently on her pants. Worry overtook her confusion and suspicion, although both were still within her heart. Why was he asking things like this? Why was he so determined to know about Daisuke? Wasn't she here for her depression and not her relationship with her brother?

More important than the questions that ran through her mind was the thought of telling a stranger – considering she knew nothing about him other than a few facts – everything about her brother. It took her months to tell Sasuke. How could she tell him on their second day together?

Unsure as to what to do, blue eyes shifted to the floor at her beloved's feet before looking up to him for reassurance.

Yamato was quick to pull her attention away from the Uchiha. In false anger he slammed his hand on his desk, the sound bringing her wary blue eyes to him. "Sasuke does not exist right now, Kirei!" He spoke, not completely yelling. "He can't answer the question for you! You must answer them yourself!"

Looking to his therapist, Sasuke's gaze turned to worry. He knew Yamato's technique – since it always worked so damn well on him – was to anger the patient to make them spill what they couldn't normally. But yelling at Kirei never worked. It only made her clam up more.

But he couldn't say anything. Right now, he didn't exist.

A mix of confusion and uncertainty was plain on the blonde's face, blue eyes staring at the man in front of her. Okay, so she wasn't supposed to look at Sasuke. She made a mistake. He didn't need to yell at her for it. "We were close." She finally spoke, eyes darting here and there.

"How close?" He stressed, keeping his eyes on her.

She looked to the plant by the window, grip on her jeans getting just a little tighter. "Extremely. We were all we had. I didn't know anything but him and I depended on him for everything." She said quickly, not wanting to say it, but knowing she had to. "I love my Nii-san. I exist because of him."

There was no amount of shock or surprise on Yamato's face. Honestly, he expected her words.

"I can't let him go. I won't. I owe him so much…I owe him my life. The least I can do is continue to love him for the entirety of the life he's given me." She confessed, biting on her lip gently.

A small bit of surprise crept onto the brunette's face. It was obvious from the start she had dependency issues…but he hadn't expected it to be this bad, nor her to be that devoted to him. "It's understandable." He began, closing his eyes for a moment as he continued to lean against the desk. "He did raise you. You wouldn't be who you are or where you are without him."

Kirei could feel a "but" coming on, her eyes drifting back to him.

"But you must realize you are dependant upon him." He continued. "And because of that, your dependency exists in all parts of your life. The more you fall in love with someone, the more dependant you become."

Worry still very much existed on Sasuke's face. Actually, it held more worry and confusion than before. Knowing the man so well, the raven knew that Yamato didn't make assumptions. He found out everything he could – in this case, about what truly happened between Kirei and Daisuke, both times in their lives – and then help her to get over it.

Yet, he knew next to nothing and was already making assumptions?

Given, Kirei was dependant. There wasn't any denying that. But she was dependent upon the people she loved because of everything that happened to her. First Akatsuki, then Orochimaru…it was more than understandable that she needed them to help her exist. Her love didn't make her dependant, so what the hell was Yamato getting at?

Blue eyes looked down to the floor before coming back to her therapist's black eyes, confusion strewn within their depths. "What are you suggesting?"

Letting out a sigh, Yamato let his eyes wander for a moment. "I am suggesting that you…" He tried to think of a good word to explain. "lessen the thoughts of owing your brother for your life."

Kirei's mouth dropped open, blue eyes remaining with his. "You're asking me…to _**forget**_ my brother?" She asked incredulously. Just the _**thought**_ was impossible.

"No," He answered, having a feeling she wasn't taking it exactly how he thought she would. "I'm simply suggesting that you don't think about owing him your life. That you lessen your thoughts about how connected you were and how you exist because of him. Those thoughts are why you're dependant upon others and it can ultimately destroy you."

Yamato's logic would never be understood by the blonde. Asking her to "lessen" her thoughts of her brother was the exact same as saying, "Forget him."

"How _**dare**_ you." For one of the few times in her life, rage boiled through Kirei's veins, blue eyes glaring at her therapist. "You have no idea what I went through with my Nii-san." Her voice was shaking out of anger as she stood and walked over to the brunette. "Therefore, you have no right to ask me to forget anything about him."

Hands shaking with rage, Sasuke watched as the blonde narrowed her eyes at Yamato and slapped him across the face. With no remorse or look back, she walked away, only to have her beloved stop her. "Ki – "

She did stop, turning her head to look into his rather shocked look. "No." She told him simply. "I'm not stopping and I'm never coming back." Wrenching her wrist away from his hand, she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

A few seconds of silence passed before Sasuke looked to Yamato, who still stood by his desk. "I've known you for quite some time, Yamato." He began, still shocked as to the newfound anger of his Princess. "I never, ever thought that you would try to help without knowing the details. Kirei's brother," Like she, he found that it felt weird to tell his name to someone who wasn't "worthy". "died for her, twice. You didn't bother to find that out. I don't know why and right now, I don't really care." Without another word, the Uchiha left the room to pursue his fiancée.

Blinking as the door shut for a second time, Yamato remained silent, letting his words sink in. He really hadn't found out much of what happened between them, didn't he? He figured her elder brother died in combat or for natural reasons…not for her.

He figured. He assumed. He thought he knew what their relationship was like, what had happened to make her this way, and because of that, felt he could "fix" her.

In almost any case, no matter what, you can't fix something unless you understand it.

* * *

Kirei didn't make it hard for Sasuke to catch up to her. Really, all he had to do was walk a little quicker than her.

And although he fell into step beside her, he wasn't sure of what to do. He'd never seen Kirei angry before, even though it was pretty obvious she was pissed off.

Since he was a master at being pissed off, the signs were not that hard to miss.

Her clenched fists were shaking at her sides. Her blue eyes glared into anything she looked at. Her breaths were deep and quick. Her face, neck and what he could see of her chest, were completely flushed red.

So, Sasuke did the only thing he could think of at the moment. "Kirei, I'm sorry." He apologized, for Yamato and for what he promised her. "I never thought, in a million years, Yamato would just assume things like that."

She continued to walk at a brisk pace, eyes never moving to his. "Well he did." She snapped, still trembling with rage. "And I'm not going back there. Nothing you can say will make me."

Before Sasuke could tell her he wouldn't make her go back – since he wouldn't go back if Yamato had told him the same about herself and him – said therapist appeared behind the two, doubled over as he was out of breath. "Please, wait." He begged, looking up to the blonde as he rested his hands against his knees.

She didn't turn toward him, but stopped right where she was.

"I…apologize." He spoke between gasps. "I should not have…assumed anything….about your relationship and ask…something so grave of you." Black eyes continued to look at the blonde, wondering how she would react this time.

Honestly, she wanted to turn and slap him again. She wanted him to know how much the thought, just the thought of her forgetting her brother hurt.

But there was a larger part of the blonde telling her to forgive him. Not because she wanted to – no, certainly not – but because that's what Daisuke would want. He'd be ashamed of her that she'd not accepted his apology.

"I'm only accepting your apology because my Nii-san would be ashamed of me if I didn't. He would do the same thing, no matter how angry he was." She kept her eyes on the ground. "But I'm not returning for another session. Ever."

Straightening as his breath returned, Yamato nodded. "I understand. I betrayed what little trust I had with you. But, please," He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to Sasuke because he knew she wouldn't take it. "take my number just in case you need help or change your mind."

She remained silent, able to see her raven putting the card into his pocket.

"Good bye, then." The brunette said, knowing that she wouldn't say it or anything more. With a nod to Sasuke, he turned and walked back to his office. This may have been a mishap, but he had other patients who needed help.

Still shaking, Kirei's hands rose to her face as she rubbed it in some effort to calm down. "Come on." She spoke softly as her hands returned to her sides, motioning to her beloved.

He looked at her softly, reaching out and grabbing her hand, holding it in his. "I'm proud of you for accepting his apology." He told her, trying to catch her gaze.

A small smile appeared on her lips. "That's what Daisuke would want." She answered, finally looking over to him. "But I'm still furious. I need to…" She looked away, rolling her lips and thinking. "Paint. Or draw…or something."

"You need an outlet." The raven told her. He knew pretty damn well how to get rid of anger. "And instead of painting…"

Kirei looked over to her beloved Prince, almost shocked. He was suggesting something _**other**_ than painting?

Sasuke smiled at her before looking ahead of them. "Maybe you should start work on your dress."

Her eyebrows creased slightly. "What dress?" She asked, smile growing a little. He didn't mean…

The raven never let his sight meet hers, smile larger than hers for once. "Your wedding dress."

* * *

There was a sly grin on Naruto's face, blue eyes sliding to the raven beside him. "Perfect night for a wedding, ne?" He asked, nudging the nervous Uchiha in the side.

Most couples certainly didn't have their weddings at night, too afraid of a less perfect scene than a beautiful blue sky and a bright sun. Kirei and Sasuke were not like most couples, and found, the night they picked for their wedding – tonight – to be a perfect night.

It was warm, that perfect warm that's not too hot or humid, but not chilly warm when a breeze blew through. The moon was just beginning to show as stars twinkled in the clear sky, almost as if they and the candles for the ceremony were glittering on this most faultless night.

"Yeah." Sasuke answered after a moment, hands in his pockets, nervously fiddling with the hem and string that was left in there by the seamstress. "It's gorgeous out." He didn't have a lot of emotion in his voice, thoughts too focused on what would be happening in the next few minutes.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the blonde closed his eyes and slapped the raven right upside the head. "Relax." Sure, he was getting married, but he didn't have to be so nervous!

Sasuke pulled one of his hands from his pockets, rubbing the back of his head as he glared at his soon to be cousin-in-law. "If I remember correctly, you were just as nervous at your wedding." He seemed to recall the blonde puking up his guts more than once.

"Shut up, Teme." Naruto replied, crossing his arms and turning away from the Uchiha. "That was completely different."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke returned his hand to his pocket, allowing it to continue fiddling with the strings as he couldn't find anything else to do with his hands. Plus, it kept them from getting too sweaty. "Do you have the rings?"

Naruto rolled his eyes this time, releasing his arms. That was probably the 15th time the Uchiha had asked. And that was only this hour. "Yes," He nodded, making eye contact in some hopes Sasuke would believe him and stop asking. "for the millionth time, I have the rings."

The raven let out a sigh of relief, letting his eyes close for only a moment.

"Don't make me get them out again, Teme." The blonde continued, wagging his finger at his friend. It was just too much to resist.

A small smirk found its way to Sasuke's lips, knowing Naruto was just trying to get him to relax. It was futile, but the thought was nice. "No, I don't need to see them." He answered, looking down the few rows of people and to the doorway where soon, his Princess would appear. "I just want everything to be perfect."

It wasn't a toothy grin, but Naruto smiled and patted his friend on the back, able to see where he was looking. "Lighten up, Teme. I'm sure Nee-chan's just as nervous as you."

* * *

"Stop it." Hinata said with a smile, smacking away the blonde's hand for the umpteenth time since she'd started her hair.

Kirei's hand retreated to her lap as she took a deep breath to try to calm down. "Sorry, Hina." She said, looking in the mirror to see her friend, who was just putting some finishing touches on her hair. "I can't help it."

Helping Hinata curl the blonde's rather feisty hair, Raiha looked to Hinata, wondering what this was about. It was a little bit funny to see the blonde try and try to grab a piece of her hair, but what did she want it for?

Holding the curling iron in her hair, clear eyes glanced to the brunette. "She grabs her hair and plays with it when she's nervous." She informed, smiling when she saw Kirei's hands rise again. "Stop it." She repeated with a smile, smacking them away again.

"Honey," The other Hyuuga began, hoping to reassure her friend. "Everything's gonna be fine. You have no reason to be nervous." She looked to blue eyes in the mirror.

"Other than the fact that I'm getting married." Kirei pointed out, smile wide on her face. It was nerve-wracking for sure, but she was oh so excited.

Just as the Hyuuga let out the curl, set aside the iron and finally finished blonde hair, there was a knock at the door, bringing all three girls to look at who was knocking.

Opening the door only slightly, Minato poked his head in, smile on his face when he saw the three of them. "Hi, girls." Getting no say that he couldn't come in, the Hokage stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "If you don't mind…I'd like to speak with Kirei for a moment."

Exchanging glances and smiles, Raiha and Hinata hugged their best friend, wished her good luck and exited the room, knowing that the next time the door opened, the youngest Namikaze would be getting married.

Waiting until the door was shut, Minato turned his eyes on his niece, smile on his face as his mouth dropped slightly. "You look gorgeous, Kirei."

Sighing as her smile widened, the blonde looked in the mirror. Thanks to her friends, her hair had been done in a very Princess-like manner, half up and half down, all of it slightly curled and of course, had sparks of glitter everywhere.

Thanks to her own talents and help from a few of her other friends from work, she sat in a beautiful white Princess gown with black trim around all of the short layers on the skirt. The corset also had black lacing and rose designs, making the dress a wedding dress, but more importantly, her wedding dress.

"Sasuke's probably going to pass out when he sees you." Minato continued, walking over and helping her out of the chair she sat in.

Laughing because she knew he was right, she smiled. "Thanks, Uncle." She answered, her gaze glancing away for just a moment as they shifted out of focus. "I wish Daisuke was here." She whispered, smile falling the first time that day.

Sky blue eyes kept their gaze on their niece. "Oh, I'm sure he is." He told her, smiling when she looked to him in shock. "You may not be able to see him…but I know he's here." He assured.

It wasn't a complete smile, but some form of one found it's way to her lips. "You think so?"

The Hokage nodded, raising both of his brows. "Missing his little sister's wedding?" He asked incredulously. "I think not."

A few giggles escaped the younger blonde's lips. He was right. Dead or not, Daisuke wouldn't miss this for the world. "You're right, Uncle." She smiled at him, secretly thanking him for his words.

Eyes watching her with a loving gaze, the Hokage sighed, his next words very soft. "Even I wouldn't miss my daughter's wedding."

Kirei's eyebrows ruffled, knowing their family was close, but not that close. "I'm not your daughter." She told him, wondering if maybe he forgot that fact.

He nodded again, telling her she was right. "You're my sister's child." He confirmed, letting her know he wasn't going crazy. "But you're also the daughter I never had."

She knew she wasn't allowed to cry. Hinata made her promise she wouldn't cry after applying all her makeup, but tears glossed over the blonde's eyes. "Uncle…" She spoke softly, reaching out and hugging the Yondaime, her Uncle and father.

Minato certainly hugged back, sniffling just a little bit. He could sniffle, but no Hokage cried. "We should probably go." He gulped, letting go of the blonde. "Hinata would kill me if you ruined all that make up."

Sighing a very large and nervous sigh, Kirei smiled and fought back her tears. "Yes, she would." She agreed, taking his arm when he held it out for her.

With a jittery heart and flipping stomach, the two blondes walked out of the room, one of them walking straight toward her future.

* * *

The ceremony began moments after they left the room, all candles lit, everyone, especially the nervous Uchiha watching the corridor where the bridesmaids began to line up.

With every girl that passed, first Raiha, then Hinata, Sakura and one of Kirei's friends from work who's name escaped him right now, Sasuke felt more nervous. Honestly, he really felt like he wanted to puke, principally because he was sweating bullets.

His nerves seemed to relax just a little – a very tiny little – when black eyes finally met with deep blue eyes he loved as his breath completely left him. There had been more than one time when Sasuke couldn't imagine Kirei any more beautiful than she was, but this time…this time topped every other time. She was gorgeous.

And that gorgeous girl who he loved, never took her eyes away from his, smile telling him she was just as nervous and as happy as him.

When the time came, Minato happily gave away his daughter-like niece, knowing with all his being that she'd be in good hands, that she would be happy. No father could wish for anything more than their daughter being happy.

The ceremony continued without so much as a hitch; both of the new couple speaking their handwritten vows and evoking tears from some in the audience – mainly Jiraiya. The only real "hitch" came about when the priest asked for the rings and Sasuke turned to Naruto.

To his horror he found the blonde patting himself down like he'd forgotten the rings. When Naruto revealed he was only joking and pulled the box out of his jacket pocket, Sasuke wasn't sure whether to have a heart attack or kill him.

Nevertheless, the raven took the titanium rings from his best friend and allowed the ceremony to continue.

It was odd to more than a few people why the couple had chosen such a color as titanium instead of gold for their wedding bands, but it wasn't odd to Kirei and Sasuke. They weren't really "gold" people and the color silver, reinforced by eternally lasting titanium, meant more to them than any color.

Despite all the horrible things they went through during those years of becoming friends and falling in love, there had always been a silver lining to everything, even the bad things.

They'd learned how to be in love. They'd learned how to care for one another. They'd learn how to live without the other, no matter how painful it was. They'd learned how to come back from hell and return again.

But most importantly, as the couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife, they learned how to overcome anything so long as they are together.

* * *

Although the ceremony for the wedding had been rather private, the reception held afterward was open to all of their friends, who were apparently ready to celebrate this long time coming wedding.

Just like the ceremony, everything had gone accordingly, even with Naruto wanting the first dance with Kirei in spite of the fact it being the Bride and Groom's dance. Nevertheless, he was oddly happy with second, knowing that not just now, but for a long time, he'd been second.

And hours later, things were still going perfectly for the Princess…yet…she couldn't find her Prince. In the midst of all the games and dances going on, she'd lost sight of him. It didn't worry her too much, knowing he'd be back soon enough, but she still wanted to know where he'd snuck off to.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Kirei also snuck off and away from the party, figuring her raven would be outside, getting a breath of fresh air. Crowds weren't exactly Sasuke's favorite thing.

He was outside, leaning on the far edge of a gazebo erected especially for their wedding, the white structure covered in reminiscing red roses, candles providing the light just like at their ceremony. He hadn't meant to be gone for more than a few minutes, but it seemed his mind had gotten the best of the Uchiha because he didn't even hear his beloved walk up to him.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked softly, smiling as she let her arms snake around his waist to alert him to her presence.

The raven flinched if only slightly and turned to her, smiling as well. "I didn't hear you come out, Princess." Tilting his head slightly, he creased his eyebrows. "Or should I say Queen?"

Glancing away, but still smiling, Kirei thought about it. It made more sense that she wasn't a Princess anymore…but there was so much behind that nickname that she didn't want to lose it. "Princess is better." She concluded, looking back to him.

So…she liked Princess better. That only made it harder. "Well, we're married. Wouldn't that make us King and Queen now?"

When he slipped his arms around her waist, she replaced her arms by his neck, allowing him to pull her into a very simple waltz. "Not necessarily." She answered, lying her head on his chest as he turned and continued the dance.

"Than what are we going to call our daughter?" He asked softly, looking down at his Princess. "We can't call her Princess too." It would be way to confusing for all 3 of them if they were both Princess.

For more than a few moments, Kirei remained silent, letting her Prince pull her along as she thought. "Hmm…." She mumbled softly, closing her eyes. "Small Lady."

Eyes drifting away from his beloved, to the soft candlelight around them, he leaned his head against hers. "Small Lady?" He asked, ruffling his eyebrows. "Not Queen…or even Small Princess?" Didn't those make more sense?

"No…" She began, sighing softly. "A girl isn't a Princess until she meets her Prince." Pulling her hands away from his neck, she set them on his chest, signaling him to stop and as he did, she picked up her head and looked deeply into black eyes. "I wasn't a Princess until I met you."

Sasuke stared for more than few moments, able to feel a blush rising on his face, yet hoping he wasn't. "Alright…" He mumbled, trying to glance away even when his sight came back to hers.

Knowing he wasn't about to start their dance again, she returned her arms to his neck and continued it, closing her eyes once more and lying her ear on his heart. It didn't take long for a large yawn to escape Kirei's mouth.

Chuckling at her yawn, Sasuke took lead of the dance and set his head against hers, also closing his eyes. "What will we call little Daisuke?" His words weren't above a whisper.

"Tiny Prince." She answered almost immediately, having previously thought about it. She knew he wouldn't question it, since he already knew that boys were Princes who made their loved ones Princesses.

He didn't question her because he knew what it meant. Anything that came with their son would be important to her in ways he almost understood. Holding her just a little tighter, he kissed the crown of his Princess's head, mouth opening to speak.

Before he could get a word out, the door to the party opened and yet another blonde poked his head out. "Hey, Teme!" Naruto yelled, cutting off the Uchiha as his eyes narrowed at him. "Just because you're married to Nee-chan doesn't mean you can hog her!"

Turning a black glare on him, Sasuke was a little disappointed when the Uzumaki suddenly disappeared, the door shutting with a large thunk. He figured Hinata saw him and pulled him away before Sasuke could murder him, and that was probably a good move.

Sighing softly, Kirei picked up her head and let out another yawn. "We should probably go back…" She mumbled softly, removing her arms from his neck. "Before he comes back out and drags us back."A soft giggle and smile took the blonde's lips as she took his hand and began to lead him back to the party.

Holding her hand in his, Sasuke gently tugged her back into his arms and held her close, not wanting to go back just yet."I want to be selfish a little longer." The raven whispered, gripping just a little tighter, smirk sly on his face.

The blonde giggled in return, remembering that once, a long time ago, she told him to be selfish more often. "I love you." She spoke into his ear with closed eyes, smile on her lips.

Letting his hands slip from her waist, the Prince entwined his fingers with his Princess's and set his forehead gently on hers, black eyes staring deeply into her blue eyes. "I love you so much."

Without looking away, they shared a tender kiss, completely unaware that more than one pair of eyes was watching from the party door.

* * *

"Sasuke, are you even listening to me?" A very annoyed Hyuuga asked over the line, wondering why the Uchiha had been silent for so long.

Blinking back to his senses, Sasuke tried to remember what he and Hinata had been talking about before he'd spaced out. "Yeah, I'm here."

A sigh left the blue haired girl's lips. Apparently, he wasn't listening to her. "I didn't ask if you were there, Sasuke." She told him, hearing more silence on the other end. Typical. "I asked if you were listening."

Okay, so he wasn't actually paying attention to her. Sue him. "Hn." He decided to answer, still trying to remember what they had been talking about.

He vaguely remembered something about the show and how she'd been complaining about there not being enough shots of the secondary characters and it was seriously hindering her and Naruto's time together. He very surely remembered that he'd asked why Hinata had even called.

It certainly was not about filming and missing Naruto. She had girlfriends to talk to about that and she must've known that's not something Sasuke even wanted to hear.

Oh yes, the raven's eyes widened just a little, his hand still holding the phone close to his ear, yet not hearing anything Hinata was saying. She had called because she was concerned for Kirei.

When she had brought up the subject of his Princess and how reserved she'd been lately, Sasuke let out a silent sigh of relief. He hadn't been the only one to notice the change in her.

More than half a year had passed since their wedding, and in the first few months, everything was fine. Actually, everything was great. They were content with living in the loft – at least until they could find ground to build a new house – and they were happy.

Kirei had a part time job working at a flower shop, although floral arrangements weren't her passion, she got to do something creative. It also allowed her to bring home flowers, making the loft smell like roses every day. Sasuke still filmed, even though he was becoming more prominent in the show, still found time to see her for more than just an hour or two each day.

Everything seemed to be going well and fine until a few weeks after Kirei's 23rd birthday.

She was doing everything she normally did, go to work, come home and paint, work on getting better at cooking and usually doing something when Sasuke got home. It was just the silence that she did it with that unnerved Sasuke.

Sure, there was music in the background or the tv on some random channel to keep away the silence she still feared, but she didn't hum. She didn't sing. Kirei didn't even so much say anything to him unless he spoke to her first, and even when he did, she didn't seem that keen on talking.

This went on for a couple of weeks before Hinata called and reassured his lingering doubts. Something had to be wrong with Kirei and she wasn't telling anyone.

"Sasuke!"

At the sudden shrill next to his ear, the Uchiha jumped and hissed, pulling away the phone to relieve his eardrum. "God dammit, what?" He snapped, drawing his eyes away from the tv that he wasn't watching. All the light changes and colors were hurting his eyes.

Hinata let out yet another annoyed sigh, she closing her eyes and shaking her head. "You're getting just as bad as Naruto!"

"I am nothing like him." The raven answered rather quickly, loving the blonde like a brother – although he wouldn't admit it to anyone – but never, would he ever, say he was like Naruto.

The Hyuuga knew that would get his attention and tried her best to hide her snickering. "You could've fooled me." She answered, knowing it would just tick him off even more. "And I should know, seeing as how I'm married to him, cousin-in-law."

"I hate you." Was the very flat, and very monotonous response.

"I know, I know," She told him, smiling because she knew he was trying to glare at her through the phone. "I love you too." Her laughter and smiles died down after a few moments. "But seriously…something's got to be wrong with Kirei…I haven't seen her act like this since…"

Releasing the glare he had on the poor candle on the coffee table, Sasuke's face became a little more serious, wondering what she was leading to. His Princess had never acted like this before. "Since when?" He asked, creasing his eyebrows.

"Since the miscarriage." She honestly thought he would've know that. "Other than being with you, she was completely silent, Sasuke. Don't you remember?" Her eyebrows were also furrowed.

Honestly, he didn't remember much about that event. "No..." He replied shortly. It had taken a lot for both of them to get over that time in their life and Sasuke had taken a lot of time to not remember what happened. He didn't want to remember the first tragedy of his family.

Hearing his silence, Hinata figured he was doing his best not to remember. She'd seen what it had done to the couple and warned everyone not to ask about it. But the blonde's actions then were very similar to the ones now, and it begged Hinata to ask a question she really didn't want to ask. "You don't think – "

Sasuke knew what she was leading to and cut her off before she could finish. "No. She definitely would've told me." He spoke adamantly. "Something like that is important to the both of us. She would've said something."

"Maybe she wanted to spare you the pain." The Hyuuga mentioned softly, leaning back in her chair. She knew he wouldn't like the thought, but with the way they were connected, it certainly made a lot of sense.

Before Sasuke could correct her and tell her that Kirei would break from trying to hold in all that pain, the front door to the loft opened, revealing the very blonde they were talking about. "Yeah, sure, I'll be there early to work on those scenes we shot yesterday. No problem." He covered, keeping his eyes away from his beloved.

Hinata very quickly got the hint. Kirei was home. "Alright, we'll see you later."

Without so much as another word, Sasuke hung up the phone and tossed it on the coffee table. "Afternoon, Princess." He said as he stood, going over to help her carry all of her things.

Unable to shut the door due to the large vase of roses in one arm and her jacket and lunchbox in the other, she kicked it shut with her foot. "Afternoon." She spoke, flipping off her shoes.

Sighing at her lack of response, the raven took the vase from her arm, allowing to relieve the stress on it and allow her to do things a little more properly. "How was work?" He asked, setting the vase aside on one of the end tables.

"It was…" The blonde began, throwing aside her jacket and lunchbox to one of the end chairs they never used. "okay." She answered, finally turning and looking to her beloved. "We didn't have a lot of people today."

Knowing he shouldn't act any differently to tip her off that he knew something was wrong, Sasuke smiled and reached a hand out, setting it on her head and tousling her hair. "I'm glad to hear that." He knew she always liked when they didn't have many customers. It gave her a chance to mess around with flowers and make wild arrangements. "Why don't you rest your feet? I'll get you something to drink."

Well, he was in a good mood, wasn't he? "Okay." She agreed, happy to rest her tired feet as she sat on the couch. She was happy he was in a good mood, seeing as how she had something pretty…touchy to tell him. Last time she'd said something, it hadn't ended well.

Coming back from the kitchen, the Uchiha could see she definitely had something on her mind, but let it go. She would tell him when she was ready to. He gave her the ice cold water and sat next to her, not sure of what else to do. They'd already got the generals out of the way…so what else could he talk about?

Looking over to his beloved, he found that she hadn't even taken a sip yet, her eyes staring into the glass. She opened her mouth to speak and after a moment, closed it. After another moment, she gathered her breath and tried once more to speak.

It was pretty apparent she had something to say, but wasn't sure how to say it. "It's okay." He assured, drawing her sight to his. "If you can't say it now, I can wait."

Kirei sighed through her nose, eyes glancing away as she bit her lip. "But…" She began, voice trailing off. She really did want to tell him…she wanted so bad to tell him. But she was so scared.

"It's fine." He assured further, leaning downward to catch her sight. "I've learned that I need better patience. This is just practice. I'll wait."

Still biting her lip, blue eyes closed as she took a deep breath. Okay…so he was in a pretty good mood and he seemed okay with waiting. Unfortunately, she wasn't. She'd been hiding it for weeks now and it was about time she'd told him. Her eyes never opened, but her words were loud and clear. "I'm pregnant."

It took a few silent moments for him to process her words – and if he hadn't seen her lips move, he would've thought he was hearing things – but seeing as how he did hear and see it, Sasuke stared. She was…pregnant? Again? "How long?" His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Eyes remaining closed, the blonde felt her heart jump. He didn't sound all that happy, nor did he react any differently than the last time. "A few weeks." She mumbled back.

Black eyes continued to stare, despite how they slipped out of focus. So…this whole time she'd been acting strange…it was only because she was pregnant again? There was nothing wrong with her?

When his eyes blinked back into focus, Sasuke found that her she was looking at the floor, hands shaking the glass in her hands, the ice clinking against one another. It was almost as if she were…scared? "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it and bit her lip gently. "I was…" She began once more, eyes avoiding his completely. "I was scared."

He figured that. After all, he hadn't exactly acted the best way last time she told him. "Of the way I'd react?" He felt like he didn't need to ask – since he already knew the answer – but did anyway.

"No…" She shook her head, allowing her eyes to close. "I was afraid to lose it again."

The raven's lips parted slowly as he stared at his blonde. She had been so quiet and reserved these past few weeks because she didn't want anyone to know. She didn't want everyone to find out she was expecting, only to have her loose it a few days later.

Not uttering a word, Sasuke took the now wet glass from her hands and set it on the table beside them, he turning to face his Princess. "You can't." He looked her dead in the eye, especially when she looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Of course I can!" She cried softly, standing and turning her head away from him.

Sighing, Sasuke also stood, making sure there was little distance in between them as he traced her jaw to bring her sight to his. "No, you can't. Not this time." He told her, still trying to catch her eyes when they darted away. "Do you want to know why?"

Arms at her sides, Kirei finally looked to him. How could he be so confident about this? How could he stand there and tell her that everything would be okay, that she wouldn't lose this child too, when she could lose it just as easily as the last? "Yes." She answered softly, hands still shaking.

A smile slipped onto the Uchiha's lips as he held her jaw in his hands and kissed his blonde, allowing his hands to travel down to her waist as he kissed her. "Because," He broke away from her and let his hands slip underneath her shirt, to where their baby now resided. "I'm right here with you."

Kirei watched with almost shocked blue eyes as he lifted her shirt and fixed to stay just below her bust, his hands holding her sides.

He knelt before her, gently pressing his forehead against her tummy before kissing it with the softest kiss he had. "Dad's right here."


	25. Beginning

_**Fact Vs. Fiction**_

_Summary: _Life continues on for Kirei and the Naruto Gang in the Sequel. All seems so very well with life, until things take turn for the worse and it becomes hard to tell Fact from Fiction.

_Disclaimer: _I own the plot and my character, nothing less, nothing more. I wish I did own more.

_Notes:_ It's been a long journey, hasn't it? Well, as sad as it is, it has finally come to an end. A happy one, but an end. I put my heart and soul into these stories, and I am glad you, the reader, has enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I hope that once I get more put up, you will take a peak at my other stories and like them as well. I hope to have one up soon, sometime this year. I don't know when, but it will be this year.

Most of all, Thank you for sticking with me and reading my stories. I hope that your lives are going well :)

Thank you for reading and supporting me! :D

* * *

_Chapter 25 – Beginning_

* * *

Splashing some water on his face due to how hot it was outside, Sasuke ran one of his hands over his face, doing his best to relax and be a little more normal than he'd been recently.

He knew just as well as anyone he was being too friendly and smiley and all that happy stuff he usually wasn't….

But it was so damn hard to hide how happy he was when he was expecting!

Okay, well, Kirei was the one carrying the baby…but dammit, he was going to have a daughter or a son. He was going to have a family, and if he couldn't be happy about that, he wasn't sure he _**could**_ be happy.

"Shit!" The Uchiha cursed quietly to himself as he threw his water bottle away and almost immediately scowled. He couldn't believe he was smiling again, dammit. Someone was bound to catch on with all this smiling he was doing!

And, unfortunately for Sasuke, the four people he didn't want finding out were the exact four people walking up to them, all of them smiles on their faces.

Figuring it was useless to try to get away, the raven sighed a large sigh and turned to face the four girls. "Oh, shit…" He cursed again.

"Aw, what's the matter, Sasuke?" Ino teased as they got closer, letting out a small giggle.

Leaning against the tree behind him, the Uchiha closed his eyes. "My life."

Sakura glanced to each of the girls, her smile widening. "Oh, it can't be that bad, Sasuke." Her voice had a tone, a special tone that just told him he was screwed.

"Yeah," Raiha continued, holding the male of her twins, Renji, on her hip. "especially when you're that happy." She had always had trouble reading the blank Uchiha, but this was so obvious that even Naruto could've noticed.

He opened his mouth to deny the statement, but Hinata, with a mischievous grin, cut him off. "And don't say you're not happy because we all know you are." She walked up to him, crossing her arms as the other girls boxed him in. "You were smiling just a moment ago."

Sasuke was not surprised to find himself surrounded when he opened his eyes and hoped they couldn't read him as well as he thought they could. "I was thinking of ways – "

Ino cut him off this time, closing her eyes in annoyance and waving her hand. "Excuses, excuses! We know it has nothing to do with hurting Naruto, so just tell us what we already know."

Keeping his cool, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You already know what?" He asked, hoping they didn't know.

It wasn't that he was scared of their reactions, oh no. He wouldn't mind if these four women knew, at least, when the time was right.

It was the Akatsuki and his brother that really scared him.

But, unfortunately for Sasuke, his brother and the Akatsuki already knew...so what was the harm in telling the girls?

"Oh, cut the bull, Sasuke," Raiha began, shifting her weight and lifting up her little brown haired boy so it wouldn't hurt as much. "we already know Kirei's pregnant so just tell us. Neji acted the same exact way when he found out I was pregnant and you two are pretty much devoid of emotion."

Ino and Sakura did their best to stifle their laughs, knowing the Hyuuga hit the nail on the head.

The other Hyuuga smiled, slipping beside Sasuke and gently began to nudge him. "Come on, Sasuke," She began in a sweet baby voice, smile growing larger as the raven grew more and more annoyed. "You can tell us. Come on…"

Why, oh why did Sasuke ever want to be friends with these people? "Fine!" He exploded, pushing off the tree and standing his own ground. "We're expecting, okay?"

Before Sasuke could even react, or move away, each of the girls took their turns hugging the raven – knowing well he would hate it – and congratulated him, also knowing that for once in his life, Sasuke was happy.

"Now, down to business…" Sakura began after stepping away, smile still plain on her face.

Sasuke ruffled his eyebrows, looking at her with an unnerving gaze. Oh god. They had something else planned?

"Don't worry," Hinata began, seeing his look. "It's nothing to do with you or anything…"

Ino finished for her, also smiling a wide smile. "We want to give Kirei a baby shower."

The Uchiha let out the biggest sigh of his life. Thank god he didn't have to go through any more of their conniving and convincing. "You can't." He told them, remembering those two little words.

Raiha shifted her weight once more, setting a soft glare on the Uchiha, as the others did so. "And why not?" She asked with a sharp tone. She was going to throw her best friend a baby shower whether he allowed it or not.

Looking to her something of an apologetic gaze, he gave her a somewhat smile and explained. "You can't…at least, not today." He began, looking to all the women who were scaring him – but he'd never admit it!

Their glares softened a bit more and they stepped back a little bit, giving him more room as he began to explain.

"See…" He started, letting out a large sigh as his eyes closed in annoyance. "Thanks to a big blonde birdie…my brother and his friends found out that we're expecting – "

Hinata had to cover her mouth with her hands so she wouldn't bust up with laughter right there. The others, even Raiha, had to do the same.

"And decided to throw her a baby shower right now." Anyone with the ability to hear could hear how unhappy Sasuke's voice was, and if they couldn't, they were just plain stupid.

"Oh god," The blue haired Hyuuga began through her laughter, drying her eyes and laughing even more when she found black eyes glaring at her. "you must be thrilled."

Sasuke gave her the flattest look he had and did his best to resist the urge to curse, due to Raiha's little boy. "Oh, I'm ecstatic."

* * *

"Ita-san, where are we going?" A very curious Kirei asked as the elder Uchiha pushed her along gently. Normally, she wouldn't ask such an obvious question, but normally, the blonde wasn't blindfolded.

Itachi let out a soft chuckle, his hand on her shoulder, gently leading her inside the Uchiha Manor. "You'll see, Kirei. Be patient."

Turning her head to where he would be if she could see, she pouted and crossed her arms. "But you said that the last five times!" She huffed, slowing her steps. "I want to know!"

"If I tell you," Itachi began with a sly smile, sharing that smile and a few glances with their friends who were waiting for them. "it'll ruin the surprise."

A smile began to form under her pout when she felt Itachi's hand leave her shoulder. "I'll still act surprised, I promise." She told him, pout fading completely when she felt a few tugs at the blindfold.

The raven let out another chuckle, this time shaking his head as he began to untie the knot of the blindfold. "I'm sure." He answered sarcastically.

"I'm really good at it." Kirei mumbled, even though she knew he wouldn't tell her. Of course he wouldn't. This _**was**_ Itachi, after all. Without another word, she felt a few more tugs at her blindfold and smiled when she felt it loosen around her eyes.

A shocked look took the blonde when her blue eyes opened.

"Surprise."

"Surprise, uh!"

"Fucking Surprise!"

Shock still plain on her face, mouth agape, Kirei looked back to Itachi in disbelief.

He nodded, knowing what she was thinking. "Surprise." He smiled, setting a hand on top of her head. "I know it's unexpected from us…but we wanted to celebrate."

Turning back to the Uchiha Manor's living room that was sparsely decorated with baby signs and balloons, Kirei let out a small laugh, still not believing that the Akatsuki member's she'd grown close to had actually gone and thrown her their version of a baby shower.

Holding a small noisemaker because it drowned out Deidara's voice, Hidan did his best to smile and walked over to the blonde, forcing himself to give her a hug. "Yeah, yeah, it's unexpected and all that bullshit," He pulled away, eyes diverting from the blonde. "but you and the little bastard are a little special to us and we haven't partied in a while, so we figured why the hell couldn't we throw you something?"

Deidara chimed in, walking over and hugging Kirei. "Yeah, uh. You're like a little sister to us. Sasuke's just unlucky that he's got us as brothers, uh." He grinned. "Congrats, uh."

Kirei hugged back with both Hidan and Deidara, finding it hard to not smile. They really were like a set of brothers to her, even if she didn't see them all the time. "Thanks, you guys."

"Dei, Sasuke's just unlucky period." Sasori corrected as he made his way up, also hugging Kirei and whispering congrats.

As with the others, she thanked him, smiling as he stepped back. "So…" She looked around the group. "How did you guys find out?" As far as she knew, not many people knew, since she hadn't told more than two people and Sasuke probably wouldn't either.

"A big mouth blonde birdie told me." Itachi smirked, seeing Kirei roll her eyes.

"Yeah, and that bastard was acting way too happy." The Jashinist added, rolling his eyes. "Bastard's always been gloomy and all emo, so when he was all happy, fucking something had to be the fuck up."

The blonde laughed and let a content smile take her lips as her eyes drifted out of focus. Sasuke had been happy lately, hadn't he?

Seeing her look, the elder raven put his arm over her shoulders, snapping her back into reality. "We should probably get started and get you off your feet."

Kirei rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm fine." She answered. Honestly, Sasuke being overprotective was understandable, but did everyone have to treat her like glass?

"Yeah, uh, you know with our luck," Deidara began as they walked over to the couches and made themselves comfortable. "the bastard will show up and complain about how long you've been standing, uh."

"Oh fuck." Hidan added as he sat on the left side of Kirei. "He'd shit a brick if he learned we'd made you stand for too long. Fucking bastard's so overprotective."

She smiled and rolled her eyes, loving how he was protective of her at times, yet wanting to smack him sometimes. "Tell me about it."

"Now," Itachi began, sitting on the end chair diagonal from Kirei as Sasori and Deidara snuggled in the same spot on the couch to her right. "we don't have much planned…this isn't a real baby shower."

"I figured that." She answered him, knowing they of all people wouldn't but together games and such for her, but merely wanted to celebrate since no one else close to them was having a baby.

"We just have gifts for you and Sasuke…and for the baby, obviously." Sasori finished, pulling his blonde into the crook of his arm.

Looking to all of them, the Namikaze turned Uchiha smiled a small smile. "Guys…" She drawled. "you didn't need to get us anything. I really…" She told them, voice pausing to find the right words to use. "can't accept them…I mean, you're like my brothers."

"It's our fucking choice if we're getting you something." The silver haired told her, knowing her intentions, but still a bit angered. She was getting a gift whether she liked it or not, dammit.

The others felt the same way, with a little less anger. They understood how she felt but wanted to at least get her something, no matter how small.

"Adding to that…" Itachi continued, his voice much softer and a little more serious. He shared a look with each of the members. "We feel responsible for Orochimaru's actions and what happened with you. As members of Akatsuki, we should have prevented it from happening."

Looking up to the ceiling, a scowl found it's way to Kirei's lips, her hands balling into fists and gripping her jeans. "Why does everyone keep apologizing to me about Orochimaru?" She asked angrily.

Each of the guys, even Itachi, stared with a look of shock, not expecting to upset the blonde. They just wanted to make up for what happened.

Closing her eyes tightly, she gripped her jeans a little tighter. "If anyone should get apologized to and pampered, it should be Karin because no one fought for her the way they did for me!"

Glancing to each other, first in concern and second in shock, the fact that Karin wasn't ever apologized too did set in their minds.

"I'm sorry, but that's not fair. Just because I'm related to Naruto and Uncle Yondy doesn't mean I'm any more important. So please, just stop apologizing." She continued, trying to explain her anger and how she felt.

"Alright, uh." Deidara broke the silence, getting up slightly, reaching over and hugging the blonde. "We'll stop."

Kirei sighed a large and deep sigh before releasing her jeans and relaxing, hugging the bomber back. "Where's everyone else?" She asked, finally opening blue eyes to look at the other members.

"As far as I know, Konan and Pein are in the mountains on vacation…I couldn't reach them so I assume they're out of service range or else, Konan would be here." Sasori answered, trying to remember the last time he tried to call them.

"I told Kakuzu not to come." Hidan began, leaning back into the couch. "Fucking bastard would probably have a fucking heart attack if he saw the money spent on the gifts anyway."

Itachi and Sasori let out a snort while a giggle escaped from Kirei and Deidara, knowing that's exactly what would happen. "Kisame's on a mission…" Itachi remembered the shy shark saying he wouldn't be able to make it. "And Zetsu…"

Kirei nodded, already knowing the schizophrenic didn't really care for her anyway. "That's okay…I'm just glad you guys made the effort. Thank you, really." She spoke with sincerity, looking to each of the guys. She may have gotten angry about the apologizing, but she really was happy they threw her a party.

They were just about to say you're welcome – at least Itachi, Deidara and Sasori were – but Hidan sat up suddenly, eyebrows creased in anger. "Okay, okay, can we open the fucking gifts now?"

Shaking her head because he was probably just as excited as her, Kirei giggled. "Yes, we can open gifts now."

Before anyone could tell her the order, or even make up an order of who was giving their gifts, Hidan bolted from the couch, heading into the kitchen to grab his gift.

The blonde let out another laugh, not knowing Hidan to ever be this excited about something, except whenever Sasuke came around.

"So you're not far enough along that the baby's moving yet, right?" Itachi asked, curious and wanting to pass the time since Hidan hadn't exact wrapped his gift yet.

Blue eyes glanced away, smile beginning to show on her face. "No, no…not yet. I'm only about 5 months." She answered, fingers playing with her nails nervously.

"About, uh?" Deidara asked, slate eyes looking to her own, trying to catch her darting blue eyes. "Wouldn't you know for sure, uh?"

The smile slowly vanished from her lips. "When I first found out…I tried to forget it."

Sasori was not the only one wearing a shocked expression on his face. "Forget it?"

Looking back to them with a pleading smile, Kirei shook her head. "It's in the past. Don't worry about it." She thanked god when Hidan burst into the room, completely unaware of the shock and wonder of his teammates.

The bag he held was nothing fancy – Kirei didn't expect it to be – nor was the tissue paper, which was actually newspaper but as Hidan set it on her lap, he explained. "Fucking bastard Kakuzu couldn't bare to spend more than nothing on letting me get something nice to wrap all the shit in."

She smiled. That certainly was Kakuzu. "That's okay." She told him, smiling to him when he fell into his previous seat. Turning her attention on the bag, she rifled through the tissue paper, being especially careful.

And she was glad, too, since the first thing she found in the bag was a set of sharpened kunai and shuriken. "You can fucking never get started to early with all the Ninja shit." Was Hidan's comment.

Kirei made a mental note to hide all of the weapons away until the baby was at least 10. Maybe 12. 13 sounded better. Yet, she still smiled because that was Hidan. She honestly didn't expect him to get anything "baby-ish".

Digging deeper in the bag, she nearly fainted when she saw pink. Pulling the pink cloth further out of the bag, Kirei could not believe her own eyes. Hidan had gone and bought two pink, glittery princess dresses. There was even a tiara and matching scepter to boot.

What was even odder – if she could imagine anything odder than Hidan buying a princess dress – was the fact that one of them was toddler size and the other was an adult size. It wasn't…for her…was it?

With a shocked look, the blonde looked to Hidan, who wasn't fazed. "You know," He began, motioning with his hand. "So that fairy Princess can play dress up with his Princess."

Itachi was the first to bust up with laughter and had to cover his mouth in some effort to quiet down. He also made the mental note of making Kirei promise him to tell him when Sasuke would be playing "dress up" so he could get some nice blackmail. Sure, he had baby pictures…but those didn't seem near enough after that.

Through her laughter at the thought of Sasuke in this pink, glittery gown with a tiara on his head, Kirei put the gifts carefully back in the bag and set it beside her on the floor. "Thank you, Hidan." She continued to laugh, hugging the Jashinist.

"You're welcome." He answered, returning the hug as Sasori let Deidara go and got up from the couch. "I didn't know if you were even having a girl, but I thought you'd have one fucking eventually, and if you don't, oh well. I'm sure the bastard will enjoy the dress anyway, dammit."

Sasori disappeared into the kitchen as well, but blue eyes remained with the guys in the room. "Well…we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl." Kirei admitted with a smile.

"Couldn't you find out by now, uh?" Deidara asked, having repositioned himself now that his Danna was gone.

She nodded, looking down to her tiny bump, smiling. "Yeah…but we don't want to know until he or she is born. We just want her or him to be healthy."

"Hah," Hidan laughed, nudging her slightly. "You're just waiting until the last fucking minute because you don't have a god damn name picked out."

"No," She continued to smile, looking up to him. "We just want to meet him or her first before we give them a name."

Watching his sister-in-law, Itachi could tell she was partly lying. There was something in her tone of voice and in her smile that told him she did have a name picked out, or at least had something in her mind. The fleeting thought that maybe she'd name a son after Daisuke appeared in his mind, but with the appearance of Sasori, he dropped the thought.

Unlike Hidan, Sasori came back with a medium sized, unwrapped box and sat down before handing it to her. "Be careful," He warned. "It's fragile."

Arching an eyebrow, a curious smile tugged at her lips before she set the box on her lap and gave it her undivided attention. When she lifted the lid off and her eyes landed on the item inside, all of her movement slowed, an awed expression coming onto her face. "Oh wow, Danna…"

Inside the plain box was an item that at first appeared very plain, but on second glance was so detailed that blue eyes couldn't absorb them fast enough. Made by hand and out of wood was a baby mobile.

It was simple, save for the toys that were attached to the strings on the ends of the mobile. Lifting up the mobile with a careful hand, Kirei examined each of the Chibi Konoha Ninja, herself and Raiha, all circling around as her hand shook.

"Danna," She began with a breathless voice, trying to see all the details he put into the small puppets. "this is amazing."

"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find references for everyone." He mumbled, feeling more than just a bit accomplished. How could he not when she couldn't take her eyes off of it? "The Konoha puppets are interchangeable with the ones in the box…" He began, watching as she turned to him and then looked in the box. "Just in case you ever feel like having the Akatsuki puppets – "

Seeing the Chibi puppets of all 10 members of Akatsuki, Kirei's jaw dropped open before she looked to the redhead in shock. "You made Akatsuki puppets too?"

He nodded, smiling a small smile. "Yes. I also made sure to use a special sealant so the baby couldn't break them if he or she got a hold of them…and it also prevents the paint from wearing. Everything's non toxic…since I remember reading that babies like to put things in their mouths." He added, not sure of how she would react. She was simply sitting there, staring.

The blonde opened her mouth, but was silent for a few moments. "You're awesome." Smiling, she looked back to the mobile and set it back in the box as gently as she could. "Thank you, Danna." She said, hugging the puppet master.

"I'm next, uh!" Deidara cried as he jumped off the couch, being careful not to trip or crash into something as he made his way into the kitchen.

Kirei shot a sly smile to Itachi, who had been oddly silent. "So your gift is last, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

He returned the smile, not wanting to tip her off to anything. The raven was sure she'd never guess it anyway, but he didn't want to take the chance. "Yep."

Before Kirei could open her mouth and pursue the subject further, there was a large thunk from the kitchen and not a moment later appeared Deidara, holding a much smaller box than Sasori's. She smiled as he ran back into the room, almost hitting the end table and jumping over the foot Hidan had put out to trip the blonde.

Steadying himself after he landed, he grinned and handed the wrapped box to the Uchiha. "It's fragile too, uh." He told her, sitting back with his Danna and snuggling close to him.

Looking at the small, equally plainly wrapped box in her lap, Kirei had to convince herself that Deidara wouldn't rig it to explode – at least in a harmful way – seeing as how Sasuke would most certainly kill him for it and opened the box carefully.

As with Sasori's gift, her moments slowed and her eyes held the same amount of awe as she picked up the clay jewelry box. Turning it every which way, she let out a soft gasp, seeing all the intricate detail and moldings of the two crests of the Uchiha's and Uzumaki's, not to mention the other symbols. "Dei, this is beautiful." She spoke without moving her eyes away.

Holding the same amount of accomplishment as his Danna, the bomber smiled. "Open it, uh." He encouraged, very excited to see her reaction.

Taking his word, she did so very warily, not wanting to break off a piece of the box or crack it in any way. Expecting some form of baby item to be sitting inside the small box, Kirei was quite surprised when the sound of a lullaby filled the quiet room. Closing her eyes, she smiled and listened to it.

"I know it's cheesy and all, un," The elder blonde began softly, figuring she liked it with the smile on her face. "But since Danna's mobile didn't play any music, I made a music box to play the lullaby, un."

The smile was inerasable from Kirei's face, she turning her head to look at both artists she held in high regard. "Thank you both." She spoke softly, but with enough emotion that they knew how much it meant.

Putting it back in the box and making sure it was secure, she set it aside, on top of Sasori's box and smiled deviously when she saw Itachi stand.

He returned her smile, although his was a little more reserved and sighed. "I'm going to need to you close your eyes, Kirei." He told her, nodding to Hidan, who sighed in annoyance.

"And why's that?" She asked with curious blue eyes, resting her elbow on her lap and putting her head in her hand.

The raven shook his head, still smiling and walked over to the stairs before glaring at Hidan. "Because it's too big a gift to wrap." He looked to Sasori and Deidara, who remained sitting beside her. "Make sure she has them closed."

"Okay, okay…I get it." She complied happily, closing her eyes as she continued to smile. She felt her heart start to race a little bit, wondering just what it was that Itachi got her. It had to be something either expensive or extravagant if he couldn't wrap it.

She felt Hidan get up from the couch and walk toward the steps, where he began to complain. "Why the hell can't you have Sasori or that lazy blonde do this, Itachi?" He whined, knowing to not give out any hints or the Uchiha would murder him.

Their voices getting quieter, Kirei laughed at Itachi's response. "Because I can't trust you and Deidara to keep her eyes closed. You know Deidara's hands would ruin the gift so it's left to you."

It grew silent and the blonde figured that Hidan was glaring, since he couldn't retort to that. It felt like minutes passed before she heard shuffling – and Hidan swearing at Itachi for making him carry something so heavy – and she pulled in a large, deep breath.

She grew even more nervous when she felt Sasori and Deidara move off the couch and with the sounds she could hear, figured they were moving the coffee table out of the way. "Can I open my eyes now?" She asked, hearing Hidan and Itachi getting closer.

"Patience, Kirei." The elder Uchiha answered her, smiling. She was getting just as bad as Sasuke. It took a few moments, but when the gift was set up just the way Itachi wanted it, the group stood to both sides of it, allowing her to see it when she finally opened her eyes. "Okay," He told her, watching the smile on her face. "You can open your eyes now."

When her blue eyes landed on the gift, it really took a moment for her to realize what she was looking at. She didn't have as much shock on her face as with Hidan's gift, or as much awe as with Sasori and Deidara's gifts, but there was a look of surprise and love.

Where the coffee table once stood was now a crib. It was obviously made of wood, the chipped blue paint revealing the timber underneath. It had no wheels, like some did, and it was certainly old fashioned.

Getting up, Kirei walked over to it, mouth now closed, eyes examining every part. She could tell that it was hand carved and hand painted, able to see variations in the Uchiha Fans that were on each bar and the sides of the crib. "Itachi…this is…" She honestly had never, ever expected Itachi to get them a crib.

"I know it's a little outdated…and old…" He began, looking over the crib and remembering watching his little brother in it. "But this crib has been passed down in the family for generations. My mother used it for us and my grandmother used it for my father…and so on and so forth."

Drawing her eyes away, blue eyes looked to black, only to find them on the crib.

"Before my mother passed, she had me promise her that it would stay in the family and that I would use it when I had kids." He continued, finally looking to her and smiling softly. "But seeing as how I'm not getting married, let alone having kids…I figured you could put it to much better use."

There were tears forming in Kirei's eyes. "Itachi…" She began softly, trying to gulp down the lump in her throat. Reaching out, she hugged her brother-in-law, biting her lip gently in further effort not to cry.

It was rather futile, because when she pulled away, she was crying and the four members of Akatsuki became frantic as to how to get her to stop.

"Oh hell, we're fucked." Hidan began as Deidara grabbed her shoulders and shook her back and forth before hugging her again. "Once the bastard finds out we made her cry, we're all fucked. Screwed fucked."

"No, no," The crying blonde shook her head, drying her cheeks. "It's the hormones." She sobbed, smiling a watery smile and looking to them. "But really, guys…thank you. I love you guys."

"Aw, we love you too, uh!" Deidara cried, hugging her once more.

The others most certainly agreed, and even though the Akatsuki never ever had a group hug, they did just this once, hoping it would get Kirei to stop crying.

To their dismay, Kirei began to cry even more and continued to blame it on the "hormones" and smile.

* * *

Instead of heading directly back home like Sasuke had directed her to, Kirei stayed with her "brothers" in the Manor for a while, simply catching up on old times and having fun. With how quickly she was growing nowadays, it wouldn't be much easier to see everyone she wanted to see.

For a while, everything was happy. They were enjoying themselves and laughing – usually about how to torture Sasuke or even old baby stories Itachi had damn near memorized – but as Kirei sat there, her hand unconsciously on her tummy, her eyes unfocused, mind drifting in thought.

She was sitting here, in the Uchiha living room with, probably, some of the toughest, smartest and greatest Ninja not just Konoha, but the world had ever seen. They knew things no one could possible even fathom, and for the blonde, they knew something that could possibly tie everything together.

"Cutie, are you okay, uh?" Deidara asked with concern, waving a hand in front of his fellow blonde's face.

Blinking her eyes back into focus, blue eyes snapped to Itachi. "You guys knew Orochimaru." It was a statement, because she already knew the fact, but her tone was as if she were asking.

Creasing his eyebrows and shooting glances to his teammates while she looked straight at him, he nodded. "Somewhat. Why do you ask?"

Eyes drifting away once more, this time in remembrance, she began to speak with a soft voice. "There was a member of the fake Akatsuki…you never met." She was silent for a few moments. "I myself only met him once…I knew it was a guy because of his height and his build. He…he wore a cloak all the time, one that hid is face completely."

The room was silent before one of the members dared to ask the question on their mind.

"Do you think it was Orochimaru?" Sasori was the one to ask, his voice hushed, eyes on her.

She bit her lip. "It's not logical to think it was. Why would he be involved in something like that? And if he was, why was he a subordinate? Why would he take orders from someone else?" She asked out loud. "But…they never caught him."

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked almost immediately. He knew it was years ago, but he clearly remembered he had been informed that every member had been accounted for.

She looked to him. "When we went on vacation the first time…right afterward…Nii-san got a call from Uncle Yondy and he told Sasuke that the last member was missing. He didn't think I was listening…but I wanted to know what happened."

A look of shock took Itachi's face. Minato had lied to him? But…why? Something as important as the fake Akatsuki and it's remaining members…that was of severe importance. Unless, of course, Minato wanted him not to know so that he wouldn't worry anymore, seeing as how the elder Uchiha lived in worry back then.

"Okay, so you don't think it was that bastard," Hidan began, trying to figure out just what the blonde was asking. "yet, you're asking us if we knew Orochimaru."

She rocked her head in thought. "I want to know what Orochimaru was like when you first met him." She looked to the Jashinist. "I can't help but think that maybe the cloaked member was Orochimaru in disguise. I mean, Ramada could've certainly taken over Hokage and when he did – "

"The Snake would've killed him and taken control. He didn't have to do any grunt work at all, simply lay in wait for the opportune moment." Sasori cut her off, having caught on to her thought. "Just like a snake would do."

The blonde smiled every so slightly and nodded, looking at Sasori. "Yeah. I caught Orochimaru once or twice in a cloak…but I've pushed a lot of that in the back of my mind."

Sharing yet another look, the four members of Akatsuki really did think back to when they first came together. If they could get some type of resolve for their little sister, any type, it could possibly put an end to all of this. For good.

"He did wear a cloak. Only once." The redhead began in short fragments. He only remembered bits and pieces himself, but he clearly remembered seeing the snake in a cloak. "It was when we first met as partners. It covered his face completely – "

"But you could feel his piercing gaze." Kirei completed staring at the puppet master. When she received a silent nod, she turned her look back to the floor, leaning into the couch.

So Orochimaru had been a part of her torment the whole time. He had been the missing member of Akatsuki and came back for vengeance. But now that he'd been dead for a while, everything that had tortured her in her past was gone.

Before anyone could say anything to get her mind off the subject – especially Hidan, who wanted to hear another baby story – the house phone suddenly rang, beckoning Itachi to get up and see who was calling.

A very sly, mischievous smirk slid across his lips when his black eyes saw the caller I.D. "It's Sasuke." He told his friends, glancing over to them.

"Put it on speakerphone, uh!" Deidara cried, getting up from Sasori's lap rather furiously and running over to Itachi.

Hidan was already on Itachi's other side the moment he saw the smirk and not so patiently waited for the weasel to pick up the phone. "Pick it up, dammit, pick it up!"

Knowing his brother would hate him for all eternity, he did pick up, putting the phone on speaker the moment he did so. "I know it's you, Itachi. Put Kirei on." Boy did he sound happy.

"Fuck, you don't want to talk to us, do you?" Hidan asked, smile on his face.

"Yeah, uh, are we just nothing to you?" Deidara chimed in, feeling like giggling because torturing Sasuke was just way too much fun.

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He was going to _**murder**_ Itachi. "You were supposed to be home a few hours ago, Kirei. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow." The raven decided that his Princess had to be somewhere in the room and that it was best to ignore Hidan and Deidara.

Crimson eyes became half lidded, staring at the speaker. "If you want her back so damn much, come get her your-fucking-self. It'd be nice to see your hell-hole of a face once a year, you know." He replied, smirking.

There was no way in heaven, hell or any other alternate dimension Sasuke was going over there. Not with all of them there. Hell would freeze over first. "Itachi," He began, knowing his bastard of a brother was somewhere in the room. "get her home before dark."

"Chicken, uh!" The blonde artist accused, crossing his arms.

"Pussy."

"I'll have her home soon." The elder Uchiha replied, albeit with a chuckle. He knew deep down Sasuke missed seeing both Deidara and Hidan, he just wouldn't admit it. "Love you, little brother."

"I hate you."

With a click, Itachi hung up the phone and went back to his previous seat, looking to his sister-in-law who held a very mischievous look on her face. "Kirei…?" He asked, knowing that planning look.

She first glanced to Hidan, then to Deidara, Sasori and finally Itachi. "If you guys really want…" A playful smile took her lips, tone just as playful. "I'll get him here. He won't like it. But he'll be here."

Sitting the living room of the loft and waiting for dark, Sasuke didn't know how bad his luck really was, but felt that – as always – his brother wouldn't listen to him and soon, he'd have to face the brothers he'd never admit to having.

* * *

For once, Naruto could not believe his blue eyes as he stood at the threshold of the film grounds, arms crossed and nose scrunched in anger. "You're late again, Teme!"

Complete in his Shippuden garb, Sasuke slowly made his way to the Uzumaki and the film grounds, his usual bag over his right shoulder and another, smaller bag over his left. "Whatever." He replied with an uncaring tone.

He hadn't noticed the smaller bag at first, but when the raven was within a meter of him, Naruto looked at the bag, tilting his head. It was too small for any props Sasuke usually brought with him, and the fact that it was pinkish in color meant that it definitely wasn't Sasuke's. "What's with the pink bag?" He asked finally as Sasuke stopped and turned his head, glancing behind them.

"It's the baby bag." The Uchiha answered absentmindedly, black eyes on his Princess who was slowly, so very slowly making her way to them. "Quack, quack, Princess." He teased, smiling.

In all her seven month pregnant glory, Kirei smiled, doing her best to keep up with her husband. "Oh hush." She told him, trying to keep her breath. She hadn't realized what a trek this really was. "I'll waddle as fast as I can waddle."

Naruto had stared at the pink bag for a few seconds after his cousin-in-law had told him it was a baby bag, but it hadn't exactly clicked in his mind that his cousin – his pregnant cousin – was here. Only when he heard "Princess" and her own voice did Naruto's eyes light up and a smile take his lips.

Sasuke knew the moment Naruto smiled, any thought of being late – let alone anything else – was completely erased from his mind. "So about being late – "

"Nee-chan!" Without a moment to spare, the Uzumaki bounded past Sasuke and right to his cousin.

Stopping for a moment to gather some of her breath back, Kirei let her eyes slip shut before she smiled and opened them again. "Hi, Nii-san…" She said breathlessly, still smiling.

A small scowl took the place of the elder blonde's smile, he holding out his arm for his cousin. "That Teme's such a bastard," He began, not able to believe Sasuke had really made her walk on her own when she was seven months pregnant! "leaving you walk all on your own."

"No, no…" She corrected, taking his arm and allowing him to lead her further into the grounds. "I told him to go on ahead." Smiling once more, she motioned to Sasuke, who smiled and nodded before walking on. "That way he can have a nice spot in the shade ready for me to sit on."

Knowing he didn't need to worry about glancing back at her because of Naruto, the raven continued into the film grounds, looking for the perfect shaded spot for his beloved to sit in.

It wasn't that he could pick just any spot – no, of course not – it had to be the perfect spot. Where it was nice and cool, but not cold. It couldn't be hot either, or allow the sun to penetrate once the ball of fire lowered in the sky. Most importantly, it had to be within his view at all times, even when they were filming.

Once he found the most perfect spot, at least compared to all the other spots, the Uchiha smiled and began to walk over to it, glancing back to his wife and cousin-in-law to make sure they knew where he was going.

When he confirmed they knew, he continued to the spot, finding that Raiha and Hinata were walking either toward him or the lunch table. "Good morning, ladies." He said pleasantly, and with a smile as he set down both bags, preparing to set up Kirei's spot.

Both Hyuuga's stopped dead in their tracks, Hinata blinking to make sure she wasn't dreaming and Raiha staring at the Uchiha in absolute shock.

As if nothing were wrong, the raven continued to set up the shaded spot for his beloved, first laying out a mat to soften the ground, then a nice comforter to make it even softer. He even added a few small pillows, should she want a nap. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Dear god…" Raiha began, mouth agape as she stared in awe.

Hinata on the other hand moved onto the blanket, going over and poking the kneeling Uchiha in the head. "Are you really Sasuke?" Her mouth was also agape.

Having finally waddled her way over to the spot thanks to Naruto's help, Kirei smiled to her two friends who seemed a little shocked. "Morning, girls." She began, voice a little confused. Why did they seem so shocked at Sasuke?

Slowly tearing their blinking eyes away from the Uchiha who was still making everything perfect, both Hyuuga's looked to who had spoken, and within an instant, everything was clear.

"That explains everything." Raiha said, smiling at the very pregnant wife of the Uchiha.

Hinata shook her head, smiling. She should've known that Sasuke was happy because Kirei was here today. "Hon, you need to have that baby as soon as possible." She laughed slightly, looking to the Namikaze turned Uchiha.

Ruffling her eyebrows, the blonde shifted her weight and smiled a confused smile. "Why's that?"

Clear eyes slid to the raven who was still fluffing some pillows and poked his head once more, grinning. "Because he's just way to damn happy."

"What, I can't be happy?" Sasuke snapped, turning narrowed eyes on the blue haired Hyuuga. "Is that such a crime?"

"Yes," She nodded, laughing as he glared at her. "I feel like the apocalypse is upon us."

"That and I can read you way too easy." Raiha added. In all her years of being here, she had always been unable to read Sasuke's emotions – although she got a little better after marrying Neji – but now it was just too obvious. "I liked emo Sasuke better."

Laughing at her husband's apparent unhappiness at being picked on, Kirei grinned and set her free hand on her tummy, wondering when she'd be able to sit down. "Well, with how big I'm getting, it shouldn't be too long before you get your emo Sasuke back."

"Awwww, but I like this one!" Naruto pouted, leaving his cousin for only a moment to walk over and pat Sasuke's head. "He's so much fun to pick on!"

Smacking the blonde's hand away, the raven snarled, setting the last pillow back down on the blanket. "Screw you guys." He growled, getting up and walking over to his Princess.

"You know we're just doing it because we love you." She told him, smiling and taking his extended hand.

A small smile returned to the Uchiha's lips as he led her onto the blanket, glaring at Naruto to move. "Yeah, but I only love you." Keeping a good grip on her hand and taking the other one, Sasuke held her balance as she sat down, knowing it wasn't easy for her to get up or down anymore.

Ah, how nice it felt to not be on her feet anymore. Sighing a rather relaxed sigh, she smiled and returned her hands to her tummy, looking up to her beloved before he kneeled. "You're already late, hun, you should get going. The Director's doesn't look all that happy."

"The Director is never happy." The raven informed her, smiling afterward. "Be good, okay?" He asked, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

Kirei returned the smile, giggling. "Don't worry, I will. I'm not going anywhere to cause trouble anyway."

Chuckling, Sasuke smile grew a little more. "Alright." But before he left her for the day, he leaned down a little more and kissed her huge tummy, eyes set on their unborn child. "You be good for mommy, you hear me?"

Laughing this time, Kirei grinned and shook her head at her raven. "Go on, we'll be good." She assured, waving him away with her hand.

As he stood, he came to realize that everyone was still watching them with either a devious smile or a very shocked look. Either way, he really wasn't going to live any of this down, was he? Probably not, but oh well. He was happy, and that was enough for him. "Come on, dobe." He stated flatly, turning and walking off the blanket.

Naruto held one of the shocked looks, blue eyes staring wide at his cousin-in-law, mouth open. Slowly, he followed the raven. "Are you even Sasuke?"

Laughing, the two Hyuuga's found their way to either side of the pregnant Uchiha and sat beside her. They didn't have much else to do today, so why not spend it with their best friend?

"He's gonna be a good dad." Raiha said softly, watching the blonde and raven as they walked off, Sasuke glaring at Naruto. "I mean…he really seems like he's doing the best he can."

"Oh he is." Kirei answered, just as soft. "He just wants to be a better father than the one he had." He may not have known that she knew, but she certainly knew how much Sasuke wanted to be different than Fugaku.

"Well, it's good to see that bastard finally happy after all these years." Hinata laughed, shaking her head when Sasuke bopped Naruto on the head and the blonde retaliated with a punch in the arm. "It took long enough."

Laughing once more, Raiha decided enough of the little comments. It was time to ask about the baby. "Has the baby moved yet?" It seemed like a stupid question, only because movement started in the 5th month, but she still wanted to know.

Smiling, the blonde set a hand on her tummy, patting it gently. "Yes, he's had a few kicks here or there." She replied, staring down at her tummy.

Hinata arched an eyebrow. "He?" She asked, knowing they hadn't found out the gender of their baby. That was one thing she remembered Sasuke telling her. "I thought you didn't want to know the gender?"

"Or is that what you're hoping for?" Raiha asked further, seeing the surprised yet happy look on the Uchiha's face.

Her hand now flat on her tummy, blue eyes looked to the blanket for a moment in thought and then looked to both Hyuuga's. "I just want the baby to be healthy, but it's easier to say he or she than "the baby" all the time, you know?"

The two Hyuuga's shared a similar look – a look that told them the other was also thinking that Kirei wasn't exactly telling the truth – but they wouldn't press the subject. So long as she was happy, it didn't really matter if she lied about wanting a boy.

"And how's everything else? I could imagine just one baby's better than twins." The brunette asked, remembering her trials with the twins that should be arriving very soon.

Sighing, the blonde leaned back onto a stack of pillows Sasuke was so kind as to set up. "Everything's pretty good." She summed up, looking between her best friends. "I mean, my feet hurt all the time and my back's incredibly sore, but otherwise, it's been good."

"Welcome to motherhood." Raiha stated with a sigh, giving the expecting mother a less than excited look.

"Mommy!"

All three women turned their heads toward the cry of mother, finding that the Hyuuga twins were now dragging their father by his hands toward them. Neji looked less than stellar, but wore a small smile on his face.

The twins Reina and Renji were about 3 years old and were nearly the spitting image of their father. They had the dark brown Hyuuga hair – which wasn't hard to guess because their mother also had dark brown hair – and had the lavenderish-clear eyes, although theirs were a tinge darker thanks to their mother's dark eyes.

Realizing their father was holding them back just a little, the tiny hands of the Hyuuga twins let their father's hands go, barreling towards their mother and hugging her as soon as they could. "We missed you, Mommy!" Reina cried, looking up to Raiha with big eyes.

"Yeah!" Renji agreed, snuggling his mother. "Daddy wouldn't make us pancakes." He growled, glancing over to his father and giving a scowl.

"Daddy doesn't know how to make pancakes, Renji." Neji answered flatly as he finally arrived at the blanket.

"Morning, Neji." Both Kirei and Hinata greeted, smiles on their faces, happiness in their tones as they looked to the father.

He nodded and offered a small smile to both of them before sitting next to his currently occupied wife. "Morning." He replied, losing some breath as his daughter removed herself from her mother and glomped him. "I see you're looking good." He glanced to Kirei, or rather, her large tummy.

Looking down, the Uchiha smiled and patted her tummy, smile growing when she felt the baby kick in response. "Yes, we're doing pretty good."

"We?" Renji asked, sitting in his mother's lap and looking at the blonde with a confused look. "But…how're there two of you?"

"Yeah, you're not a twin like us, are you?" Reina continued with the same confused look, knowing what her brother was thinking.

"No…" Kirei replied, shaking her head as she smiled to the twins.

Hinata leaned forward, setting a hand on Kirei's tummy as she explained. "She's going to have a baby soon, sweetie. Her tummy's just big because that's where the baby is."

Both twins blinked before looking at each other, trying to understand what their relative had explained. She was going to have a baby…but it was in her stomach?

"Mommy," Renji began, looking back to his mother before looking up to her eyes. "if she's having a baby…why did she eat it?"

"Daddy," Reina began at almost the same moment as her brother, also looking to her father before looking up to him. "Where do babies come from?"

* * *

It didn't feel like two hours had passed – what with keeping up with the tiny Hyuuga twins Reina and Renji, along with watching the process of filming – but two hours had indeed passed in the film grounds, the sun starting to lower from it's high position in the sky.

Despite the emotionless-ness of their father and their very laidback mother, Reina and Renji were a whirlwind, pursuing their baby questions, running around damn near everywhere and climbing all over the grown ups around them.

Kirei was all smiles, happy to see the children of her best friend, but also found herself a little relieved. It seemed Raiha and Neji really had a handle on the two, but if she and Sasuke were having twins…She wasn't sure they could keep up. Actually, she was pretty sure they couldn't keep up.

It seemed as if her baby agreed with her thoughts, giving a small kick when the blonde thought about how nice it was to start with just one child. "So you like being an only child?" She mumbled to her tummy, receiving no answer.

"Talking to the baby?" Raiha asked as she wrangled Renji into her lap.

She didn't feel embarrassed about it, since she once read that a lot of mothers interact with their children. "Yeah…just about how we couldn't handle twins…I couldn't keep up with them." She smiled, laughing as Reina slipped out of her father's grasp, ran behind him and used his hair as a means for climbing onto his shoulders.

"It certainly isn't easy." The brunette agreed, keeping a tighter grip on her rambunctious son so he couldn't do the same as his sister. "But we love them." She looked to her husband, who, finally defeated, let his daughter play with his hair while she sat on his shoulders. "Don't we?"

He looked less than amused, but beneath the emotionless mask of the Hyuuga, there was a smile. "Yes," He nodded, letting the smile show through. "We love them every much."

"Even though they're messing up your precious hair?" Hinata asked, trying to hold back her laughter, hand covering her mouth as Reina tied a few strands of his hair into a "pretty bow".

The elder Hyuuga rolled his eyes and shook his head gently. "Yes, even though they mess up my hair. They're more precious than my hair."

Leaning back onto a stack of pillows Sasuke had set up for her, Kirei set a hand on her tummy, eyes shifting downward. "I don't know how you did it, Raiha…I couldn't imagine having twins."

She had had her attention on getting her daughter off of Neji's shoulders, but turned back toward the Uchiha. "It's not so bad…it's just like a regular pregnancy, just a little more exhausting."

"Yeah, but I'm tired already just by sitting here." She replied, letting her eyes close as she sighed a very deep sigh.

The two Hyuuga women shared a glance. Hinata may not have had any children yet, but she certainly knew that was an odd sign. Pregnancy and being tired went hand in hand, but to be tired merely by sitting and relaxing was not something normal. "What do you mean?" She asked with a calm voice, hoping to mask her newfound worry.

"Well," The blonde began with a sigh. "I get tired really easily anymore. Not sleepy tired…but just drained tired." She tried to explain. "Sasuke thinks it's just because of the weight of the baby, you know, because I'm such a small person. I don't know myself, but I'm just hoping it's not a complication."

"Anything else that seems off to you?" Raiha asked, also trying to hide her concern as she shared yet another glance with her cousin-in-law.

Kirei pursed her lips, thinking. "Mm…my feet have swelled a little bit and every once in a while my hands do too." She answered, looking to both of her friends. It wasn't hard to see the worry on their faces. "You don't think there's anything wrong, do you?" She asked quickly, looking between them.

"No, no." Hinata answered quickly, smiling to reassure her. She didn't want the upcoming mother to stress out like last time and end up going the same dreadful route. "We were just asking."

A small smile found its way to Kirei's lips, not completely convinced, but trusting her friends. Maybe she'd go up and talk to Sasuke, since it looked like they were going to take a break. "Okay…" Letting her smile get a little bit bigger, blue eyes glanced to her husband. "I'm gonna go see Sasuke."

The two Hyuuga's, still a bit concerned, shook their heads, smiling. They should've known she was going to say that. "Want some help up?" Raiha asked, knowing firsthand how hard it was to stand up with a giant belly.

"That would be so helpful." The Uchiha laughed, watching as the laughed and stood to each side of her. Grabbing their outstretched hands, she continued to smile as they pulled her onto her feet.

As she stood, however, the smile quickly fell from her face, blue eyes falling to the ground and becoming unfocused. She swayed gently, grip loosening on her friends hands before her eyes completely closed and she passed out.

"Kirei!" Raiha and Hinata called out, hoping to god she was only faking as they held her still.

"Come on, this isn't funny." Raiha told her sternly, both of the women gently setting her back down as Neji took a hold of both twins, pulling them out of the way.

When the blonde gave no reply, sitting once more and leaning against the pillow stack, Hinata looked to her brunette relative with a serious face. "I don't think she's faking."

Hearing his wife's name cried rather worriedly, Sasuke stopped in the middle of the scene, looking over to their spot. Eyes widening when he saw her sitting, head rolled to the side and passed out, the heartbeat of the Uchiha raced.

Before a second thought could penetrate his mind, he jumped out of the scene, almost running over to his wife. Naruto seemed to follow suit, black eyes seeing a flash of blonde and orange to the left of him.

"And just where do you think you two are going?" The Director asked angrily, tapping the rolled up script against his open palm.

Sasuke glared. He was just asking for death, wasn't he? "Get out of my way." He snarled, red eyes glancing away from his wife for only a millisecond.

Knowing better than stopping him, Naruto cut in between the two, allowing Sasuke to go. He set a hand on the Director's shoulder, assuring him everything would get finished. "I know Sasuke's lines, I'll just create a copy of him and we can finish." He told him, blue eyes watching the Uchiha walk away rather quickly. "You better tell me what's going on later!"

The raven understood, raising a salute to the blonde behind him, silently thanking him. "What's going on?" He asked before he even reached the blanket, going directly to his Princess's side. "What the hell happened?"

Hinata and Raiha were also at her sides and looked to the very concerned raven. "We don't know. She was talking about being tired and when we helped her up she passed out." Hinata told him.

"Don't waste anymore time." Raiha began, feeling like they'd already wasted crucial minutes. "Get her to the hospital and find out what's wrong."

Hearing that one little word, Sasuke closed his eyes, feeling his heart rate go through the roof. Something couldn't be wrong. Not after what they went through before and with how close they were now. Sighing a deep sigh, he ran his hands over his face and through his hair before moving to a proper position and taking his beloved into his arms.

He hadn't exactly promised her, but he told her nothing could happen to the baby. Not because it wouldn't, but because he was here.

And he wouldn't let it.

* * *

Sitting up in the white hospital bed Kirei had come to know rather fondly – since she was here every other day – she took a deep breath and let out a long, annoyed sigh, eyes rolling across the also white ceiling.

Seriously, was there a legitimate reason for coming to the hospital? Sure, she'd passed out at the film grounds, but that's only because she was tired. She was tired because it was hard to sleep with a giant bump in the middle of your body. That was understandable, wasn't it?

Okay…so it was a little scary that she passed out while she was seven months pregnant, but did they really have to drag her all the way to the hospital on her day off from seeing doctors?

"Don't even think about being annoyed." The raven interrupted her thoughts, seeing her roll her eyes. "You have no right to be annoyed when the baby's in danger."

She narrowed her eyes only slightly, looking to her husband. "But he's not in danger." She argued, frowning. He didn't know it, but ever since she first found out she was pregnant, she'd had a feeling.

It wasn't the same feeling as the last time – the dreadful, worrisome, upset feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was so much of a different, almost happy feeling, that she wasn't sure she could even try to describe it to him. Nothing had gone wrong so far, and if her feeling hadn't changed whatsoever, why should she think the baby was in any danger?

Sasuke looked into those blue eyes for a few moments. He'd read in a book somewhere that mothers had an almost psychic bond with their child – even if it wasn't born yet – and as much as he trusted his wife, he didn't have that feeling. He couldn't.

"I was really scared." He admitted with a calm, but soft voice. "Last time was my fault, whether you agree with it or not, and I'm not going to let anything happen to this child. Even if you cut your finger, we're coming down here to make sure everything is okay."

The blonde's frown softened considerably, to the point where she was almost smiling at him, blue eyes not leaving the black eyes that looked at her with worry and concern. "Sasuke…" She began, formulating her words in her mind. "I know you can't feel what I feel…but you don't have to worry so much. All he and I want to do is go home and sleep on the couch."

Before the Uchiha could protest, Kirei pulled the heart monitor off of her finger, sending the machine into a frenzy because it could no longer detect a heartbeat and did her best to scoot to the edge of the bed. With some effort she pulled her legs over the side of the bed, allowing them to dangle before getting ready to step off and walk right out of the hospital, Saskue or not.

"You're not going anywhere." Her husband shook his head, getting out of his seat and stepping right in front of her legs, effectively cutting off her exit. "Just stay until Tsunade comes in and gives us some form of information." He almost asked, grabbing the heart monitor and her hand, trying to put it back on.

Kirei would not let him, moving her hand away and curving her finger. She didn't want to stay here if she didn't have a good enough reason.

Sighing at his wife's stubbornness, even when it came to him asking her to stay, Sasuke let his black eyes fall to the floor, hand still holding both hers and the heart monitor, but not moving. He simply held them in his own hands. "I know you don't want to be here. I know you want to go home and sleep, especially since we're coming here every other day. But I can't experience what you can…I can't feel what you feel with the baby." He explained, voice very soft, eyes shielded from her own.

"But you can't trust my word when I say we're fine?" She asked even softer, knowing exactly how he felt. She knew how he felt – unable to experience what she was experiencing with carrying the baby – but after all these years, couldn't he believe her?

Sasuke was silent for a few moments, thinking about how to answer. Without a word he moved closer to her, setting aside the heart monitor and taking her other hand into his, eyes closing as he set his forehead against hers. "I do trust you. I trust you with my everything. But I just want to be sure. I want to know what you already do."

Smiling softly, Kirei pulled her forehead away from his, feeling him falter slightly, and simply reached up. She planted a soft kiss on his black bangs, her eyes also closed. "The baby and I are perfectly fine." She assured softly, kissing the locks above his ear.

Drawing their attention away from one another, although Sasuke was still going to argue for them to stay, the door to the room opened, allowing Tsunade, their grandmother and doctor to walk in, her heels clicking against the tile. "Not exactly." She disagreed, hearing her granddaughter's last statement.

A look of confusion and shock set in on the blonde's face. The baby wasn't healthy? But…how? How could her good, happy feeling deceive her? "What?" She asked incredulously, hoping her grandmother was only joking. "What do you mean?"

Yet, the look on Tsunade's face was not one of teasing. Her mouth was nothing more than a straight, almost downturned line, brown eyes scanning the chart in her hands. "I can't say for sure if we're right…I need to find out a few things first, hun." She assured, knowing how her granddaughter stressed easily anymore.

Before either one could ask, the door opened once more, this time revealing another familiar face. "I'm sorry I'm late." Sakura began with a smile, letting the door close behind her as she walked up to her mentor and friend. "I had to calm the nurses as to why you aren't dying." She chuckled, pointing to her pregnant friend.

Staring into green eyes, the blonde blinked, a small smile coming onto her face. "Oh, yeah," She also giggled, looking down to the heart monitor she'd taken off. "Sorry." She apologized, Sasuke's hands releasing her own as she put the monitor back on, the machine finally returning to normal.

"It's okay," Tsunade told her, also smiling at her granddaughter. She was just like Naruto, always wanting out of this place. "we know you don't want to be here on your day off. Why don't you just tell me what vitamins you're taking? Sakura can take your vitals while we do so and that'll get you out of here quicker."

Kirei smiled. The quicker she could get out, the better. …If she knew what meds she was taking. Blue eyes shifted to the floor, she giggling out of embarrassment. She had no clue what she was taking. Sasuke was the one who gave her what she had to take at exactly the same time every day.

"If you promise to get back into the bed and not waddle out of here if I move, I'll tell her what you're taking." Sasuke whispered into her ear, already knowing she had no clue about her vitamins.

Sighing, the blonde set her forehead on the inside of her husband's shoulder, thinking. "Okay…" She drawled, somehow knowing he was smiling because she'd be staying here longer.

"I love you." He kissed her locks as she had done, helping her back into the bed before walking over to his grandmother-in-law. "I'll give you her list of meds, seeing as how she doesn't know them."

Sakura chuckled as she gave him a smile, walking over to the blonde who was still trying to get comfortable. "How've you been?" She asked, still smiling as she sat on the side of the bed, reaching into her pocket to get out a small pen light.

Bringing her hand up to her forehead, Tsunade's brown eyes closed, allowing her head to rest into her hand. Of course Kirei didn't know her meds. "I should've expected that." She told her raven haired grandson-in-law, as she picked up her pen, prepared to list what he told her.

"Oh, you know." Kirei answered, doing as she was told by her friend and second doctor. She moved her eyes left and right, followed the pen light and stared at the wall when Sakura checked the dilation of her eyes. "Sore, tired, huge." She smiled.

The rosette smiled, putting her pen light away as she reached for the arm wrap that measured blood pressure. "I could imagine so." She answered, wrapping the black wrap around Kirei's arm, adjusting it and beginning to pump it full of air as she timed the pulse of the blonde on her watch. "Anything weird happening, though? Swelling, or even short of breath?" She asked, still counting.

Kirei scrunched her face, not ever liking the blood pressure wrap, and also in thought. "Well, actually," She began, blue eyes looking up the ceiling in thought. "every once in a while, my feet swell. It's not bad…I can still get a pair of sandals on, but they do swell. My hands have done it before…and I think my face has a little bit too." She answered, looking to the rosette to find her eyebrows ruffled. "Is that a bad thing?"

Sakura didn't seem to be focused, looking at her watch and the instrument on the wrap. "Your BP's a little high." She mumbled, looking up to the blonde. Her expression changed almost immediately. "No, no, it's just a little strange." She assured, smiling.

"And how have the chakra supplement vitamins been working?" Tsunade asked the raven, knowing the pills were fairly knew and had more than a few side effects. They had only given them to Kirei because of the amount of chakra her family and husband's family possessed, yet she lacked.

He smiled, remembering that first day she'd taken them. "Oh, I think they're working fine." He answered, chuckling. "She wanted to go mountain biking because she had so much energy."

Tsunade snorted, writing down the effects for future patients. "You didn't let her, did you?" She asked, not completely doubting it. She would've been small enough to go mountain biking back when she first took the pills.

"No, I just put her on a leash and let her run around outside for a while." He smiled.

"I heard that!" She cried from across the room, now focused on their conversation since Sakura had since focused on her and the baby's heart. "I'm not a dog!" She crossed her arms, pouting at her husband.

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost a lot of energy." Her grandmother told her, also smiling. Even with the symptoms she had, it was good to know that she was still relatively healthy, even if Sasuke was doing his best to make sure she stayed that way.

"No," Sakura began, pulling her stethoscope away from the belly of the blonde and getting up, returning to her mentor to add to the chart in her hands. "but she's had some swelling in her feet, hands and face. Her BP's a little high too."

The rather humorous and happy mood of the room seem to fall at her words, brown eyes looking to green with seriousness. She wrote the words on the chart and with a sigh, motioned for Sasuke to return to his wife. She followed them, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Go ahead, Sakura," She turned to the rosette, nodding. "I'll finish up with them and meet you at the next patient's room."

"Alright." The Haruno nodded, offering a rather small smile before walking out of the room. "See ya."

"Sweetie, please don't stress out too much, but you've got a condition called Toxemia." The elder blonde thought it best to come right out and say it, the chart sitting beside her on the bed, eyes fixed with her granddaughter's.

Her hands rested ontop of her large tummy, worry already filling her eyes. "Toxemia?" She asked, eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Just tell me if the baby's okay." She didn't know what Toxemia was. She didn't know if it affected her or just her child. But she really didn't care right now. She just wanted to know if he was okay in there.

Tsunade took a slow breath, eyes glancing away. "For now, yes." She saw them sigh a relieved sigh. "But left unchecked, Toxemia can develop into something that can kill the both of you."

Blue eyes shared a very concerned glance with black, her eyes then darting to the baby. If Sasuke hadn't stopped her from leaving…

"What is Toxemia, exactly?" Sasuke asked, directing his eyes to brown, also noticing that Kirei's eyes went to the same spot. "I mean, is there anything we can do?"

"Of course!" The blonde doctor replied, nodding and smiling just a little. "It's a medical condition based mostly upon stress and water retention within the body. That's why your hands and feet have been swelling. Stress and some food items can cause water to retain within the body and kill the baby." She explained.

Sasuke ruffled his eyebrows only slightly, not confused about the explanation in the least. He was more confused as to why Kirei had Toxemia. Okay, maybe her diet wasn't all that great, but what on Earth was she stressed about? She had nothing to be stressed about…or was she hiding it from him?

"The best course of action we can do is induce the mother into having the baby…" Tsunade began again, this time explaining "treatment". "But we can't do that because you're not full term yet. I don't want to put the baby into more danger by making it premature." She sighed softly, picking up the chart and looking over it again. "So, the only other thing we can do is put you on bed rest."

"Bed rest?" The younger blonde asked, half of her dreading the thought. If she was on bed rest, it meant that Sasuke could baby her all day, every day until she had the baby. "Is that the only way?"

Tsunade nodded, wondering why her granddaughter didn't seem so excited over it. "Yes. And when I say bed rest, I mean it. No going to the film grounds, no going on walks around the town. No going up any stairs and certainly, not standing on your feet for more than 10 minutes. You need to be on a couch or a bed at all times."

Tsunade honestly thought her eyes were deceiving her when she found a smile on Sasuke's face and a frown on Kirei's.

Sasuke was happy. He was ecstatic. He knew she hated it, but now he had a pure, legitimate reason to baby her as much as he possibly could. Smiling growing into a grin, he turned his head toward her, kissing the locks above her ear. "I get to baby you all I want."

Kirei was trying to hold back a smile as he kept nuzzling and kissing her, knowing he loved to treat her like a real Princess even when it annoyed her sometimes. "I know…" She mumbled, sighing.

"All day, every day…" He continued, kissing down her cheek and jaw. "And you can't say one word about it."

"At least until I have him." She countered, smiling and looking into those happy black eyes she loved. "Then you get to baby him."

He pouted playfully, kissing her forehead and holding her as best he could. "Aw, but I like babying you."

The grandmother sitting on the edge of the bed watched her grandchildren with a smile, almost not believing it. Sasuke was actually smiling, showing the side of him that not many were blessed enough to see let alone sit two feet from. Sighing and smiling, she closed her eyes, getting up from the bed. "Just let me know when you two leave, okay?" She asked, keeping her eyes closed as she walked out of the room, knowing they would tell her.

"Yeah." The raven continued to nuzzle and kiss his beloved Princess to make her smile, at least until he heard the door click, meaning it was shut. Almost immediately his demeanor changed.

He held no malice and released his blonde as he sat beside her on the bed. His eyes did not hold the same happiness and playfulness as moments before; they had an almost somber look to them. "This…thing you've got." He started, knowing she was confused by the look on her face. "Toxemia. It's mainly caused by stress. So tell me why you're so stressed."

Kirei's smile faded considerably, but didn't vanish. She should know better that Sasuke always got straight to the point. "Well…"She drawled as she took a deep breath, thinking about what to say.

"What are you hiding from me?" He prodded further, keeping black eyes with blue. He knew she couldn't've intentionally hid something from him, but she was hiding something.

Sighing, the blonde ran a hand over her face and through her hair, allowing her eyes to close even after they darted away. "I…I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. I just…" Her voice faded, still trying to gather her thoughts to explain. "You've been taking such good care of me that I didn't want to worry you with meaningless thoughts."

This time, he sighed. She was the one carrying the baby, dealing with all the pain and stress of it, and yet, she was still worrying about him. "Kirei…Princess," He said, smiling softly as he leaned, trying to catch her sight. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to hide anything. Just tell me what you're stressing about."

Blue eyes met black, a half smile on her lips, hand returning to her belly. "I'm not…stressed or worried at all…" Her voice fell to nearly a whisper, eyes fading from focus and slowly making their way to the white bed below her. "I'm scared."

The raven beside her looked on with an almost shocked look, not expecting those words to come out of his wife's mouth. If she'd been scared, why hadn't she told him? Why hadn't she said something to him, or even, why hadn't he noticed? He was about to ask, but seeing her open her mouth, he remained silent.

"I mean…I'm certainly not scared about our future. I'm pretty sure about that." She continued, trying to explain how she felt, what was running through her mind. "But…with all the complications I've had…do you think we'll ever have a baby? And what if," She persisted rather quickly, not letting him get a word in. "there's something wrong with the baby they haven't found? What if…" She blinked, realizing her deepest and greatest fear among all the thoughts in her mind. "What if we never have a boy?"

Sasuke watched his fretting wife with a look of disbelief and a soft smile. How in the world could she ever even come up with these thoughts, especially when they weren't true? While she continued to go on with her "what ifs", he leaned toward her, raising a hand to her jaw and turning her head toward him.

Confused because he didn't seem to be listening to her, Kirei continued to ask what on earth he was doing, at least until she was effectively silenced by her husband's kiss.

"Relax." He spoke calmly after their kiss, knowing it would quiet her. Keeping his eyes with hers, and very prepared to kiss her should she start all those questions again, he continued. "You need to relax. And no more bottling up things like this. If you don't feel sure about something, tell me. That's why you're so stressed out, because you don't tell me, even if you think it'll worry me." He told her, watching as she bit her smiling lip. "Got it? No more secrets."

She pouted playfully, pretending to be annoyed as she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, sir…" She answered, although she really did mean it. Kirei knew that she couldn't keep anything from him anymore…at least, not after this. If he was okay with hearing her ramblings, she'd tell him.

"And on the matter of having a boy…" He continued further, leaning close to his wife to nuzzle her neck like he always did and make her laugh and smile. "Let me put it this way: If we don't get a boy right off the bat," The raven traveled up her neck, almost whispering in her ear and smiling at her giggles. "We'll just keep going until we get a boy."

Laughing, because of his bangs tickling her neck and at the thought of how many kids they'd end up having if that happened, Kirei smiled, turning as best she could and kissing her husband. "I love you."

He was more than happy to kiss back, able to feel her happiness through the smile of her kiss. "I love you, too." He also smiled, although his was for a bit of a different reason. He loved her, no doubt, but something was just making him incredibly happy.

Kirei saw that smile and the glint in her husband's eyes. She knew what he was going to say and almost, almost kissed him so she wouldn't have to hear it.

"Now I've got a perfectly legitimate reason to baby you," Sasuke smiled, continuing to kiss his beloved Princess's cheek, jaw and neck. "and you can't complain one bit."

Sighing a playful sigh, although she didn't like to be babied, the blonde continued to smile, feeling more assured than ever. "Grrreat."

* * *

"Just wait right here…" One Sasuke Uchiha mumbled, examining the couch before him with expert black eyes. Everything seemed to be perfe – Ah, yes. He needed more pillows. "I need to grab a few more pillows." He said absentmindedly, completely ignoring his wife.

Actually sitting on what was left of their couch, or at least, what she had sat on before her crazed husband built around her, Kirei pushed down a column of pillows, setting her elbow on it and resting her head in her hand. "Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere." She reminded him, wondering how on earth he'd forgotten that fact. "I can't even get up with all these – " Looking over to where her husband was, the blonde narrowed her eyes.

He wasn't even there!

The soon to be mother rolled her eyes and let out a deep, deep sigh through her bottom lip, bangs moving slightly to the force of her sigh.

It was one thing when Sasuke got up from the couch and grabbed her _**one**_ pillow for her aching back or feet, or when he went into the kitchen and got her a drink or food if she asked for it. Honestly, it was nice to have him caring for her like that, since her body seemed to be under such pain during this miracle of having a baby.

But this – this babying he'd started not one second after they learned she needed to be on bed rest – was a completely different sort of babying and although it showed Sasuke truly cared about her, it was overkill.

Run over, set on fire a few times, slashed and stabbed overkill.

When they'd left the hospital, he wouldn't even let her walk out – no, no, her walking was forbidden – so, she had to leave the hospital in a wheelchair. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd picked her up and moved her to the couch and had her situated within minutes.

From then on, Sasuke had gone around the house, pillaging every poor room for pillows and bringing them back to the couch. He fluffed them and then put them around her, near surrounding her in the soft feather pillows.

Kirei really didn't mind the star treatment. She liked to be babied – to a point. And that point had been crossed long, _**long**_ ago.

But before the blonde could holler out to her husband and call him back – if he could even be called back from his current mission of gathering every damn pillow they had in the house – the tummy that fed both her and her baby began to grumble. "So you're hungry, too, huh?" She asked, looking down at her large tummy.

A large and loud growl answered her, making her smile.

"I agree. Some celery and peanut butter sounds good." She nodded, batting a few pillows out of her way as she began to wiggle to the edge of the couch. "Maybe we'll grab some carrots and crackers too. Those will be good with peanut butter." She continued, still making her way to the edge of the couch.

When she finally did reach the end of the couch, at least, where she could push off and actually stand, Kirei felt oddly pathetic. She wasn't even off the couch and she was already out of breath.

Sasuke was walking down the steps, having successfully rummaged through the entire closet and recovered a few more, even softer pillows for the comfort of his wife. Yet, he didn't even make it to the floor, eyes happily looking to his blonde, only to have them go wide in shock. "Kirei!" He cried, dropping the pillows and dashing to her.

Holding her hands out to stabilize herself, the blonde jumped at the sudden cry of her name, looking over to her currently freaking out Prince. "What?" She answered back, confused as to why he sounded so alarmed.

The Uchiha let out a soft sigh as he stepped closer to her, shaking his head. "Princess, you aren't supposed to be on your feet." He turned her around and set a hand on the small of her back, gently – but forcefully – leading her back to the couch. "Bed rest, remember?"

"Granny said I can be on my feet, just not for a long period of time." She replied back, pouting. Sitting on the couch was not as fun as he, or anyone, thought.

He nodded, telling her she was right. "Yes," He led her along, smiling. "And it's already been too long."

"But I just got up!" She cried back, hands on her tummy, knowing he would help her if she stumbled. "Plus, the baby's hungry. He wants some celery, carrots, crackers and some peanut butter."

Sasuke laughed and shook his head, not wavering in his leading her along. "Than I'll get it for you. All you had to do was tell me you were hungry." Turning her once more, he helped her to sit back down, making sure she was all right and fine before turning away.

"I would if you would listen to me." The blonde retorted, blue eyes looking directly into black. "You're too worried about getting all these pillows to listen." She batted a few more away, making it less claustrophobic.

Sasuke sighed, allowing his eyes to close momentarily. Okay…so maybe he was overdoing it with the pillows. Maybe. "You have my attention now, Princess. I'll head into the kitchen and get you a plate and come right back."

"No more pillows?" She asked before he could move away from her. She would be damned if it took an hour to get food because he was searching the damn _**city**_ for every pillow in sight.

The raven smiled and nodded. "No more pillows." He promised, finally turning away from his beloved and heading into the kitchen, still keeping a keen eye on her. He was honestly thankful he could see her from the kitchen.

"Hey, could you put an apple and some tomatoes on that plate too, please?" She yelled with a smile, waving her hand to make sure he heard her.

Sasuke's smile grew into a laughing grin as he nodded and yelled back. "Yes, Princess." He couldn't help but shake his head as well, never realizing in his wildest imagination how much her appetite would change.

From reading a few baby books, he knew that the mother usually craved what she lacked – in her case, mainly fruits and vegetables – but he never really realized that almost everything the blonde now ate would be fruits and vegetables. Occasionally she ate what she used to eat, but for now, he would get her what she asked…

Even if it was his precious tomatoes. He could give them up for a while if it meant good health for their son or daughter. But when she had the baby…the tomatoes were _**his**_.

Kirei grinned the largest and happiest grin she had when he came back with a large plate full of every food she asked for and the jar of peanut butter, since he never put enough on the plate itself. "Thank you!" She nodded, reaching out to the tray before he even got close enough to give it to her.

"You're welcome." He laughed back, chuckling even more when she took the tray and set it on her tummy, immediately taking some celery, swiping it in the peanut butter and taking a large crunch.

"You know," She mumbled, taking up a carrot and also swiping it in the peanut butter. "I could've gotten it myself." Kirei looked up to her husband, who sat on the arm of the couch since all the seats were taken up by pillows.

"Stop it." Sasuke told her, watching as she took a slice of his poor tomatoes and ate it. "I can get things for you. I don't mind babying you."

Before taking a nice big crunch of the carrot in her hands, she used it to point to the kitchen, blue eyes on black. "But the kitchen is right there!" She retorted, pouting. "Oh and can you please get me a glass of milk?" She wasn't above complaining about getting her own food, but when she already had it, she was not getting up, come hell or high water.

The Uchiha had already learned this fact and smiled. "Of course I can." He answered, getting up off the armrest of the couch. "And yes, the kitchen is right there," He continued as he walked out of the room and into said kitchen. "but you are on bed rest."

Pouting, the blonde looked away from her husband and the kitchen, taking another bite of a stick of celery. "This isn't bed rest." She grumbled, loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes, it is." He disagreed, coming back with a glass of milk for his beloved. He did not hand it to her, but set it on the coffee table, ready to grab it when she asked for it.

She sighed at her Prince's stubbornness and, feeling her tummy stir, looked to it and nodded. "Yes, yes, I agree." She then looked to Sasuke, smiling. "He also agrees with me. It's not bed rest."

He snorted, glancing away for a moment and smiling. "How do you figure that?"

"He's been kicking for a while." She answered, taking a large chunk out of the apple.

Sasuke remained silent for a moment, wondering what it was like to feel the baby kicking from the inside. Kirei always seemed to talk about how the baby was kicking and "agreeing" with her, but he wondered what it really felt like. Well, at least it wouldn't be a long time before he felt the baby kick from the outside. "Well, the baby won't like it, but I'm going to make sure you stay put."

"I don't like it either." She pouted, devouring yet another cracker. "I'll be up and moving when you go away for filming every day anyway and you can't stop me." She said smugly, smiling at him.

He smirked in return. "I took paternity leave. The Director didn't like it, but oh well. I'm going to be here until the day the baby decides to greet us."

Kirei glanced away. So he won that argument. She wouldn't be leaving the couch in a while. But if he really wanted her on bed rest, she was going to be as happy as she could be on the couch whether he liked it or not.

Sasuke felt good after seeing the defeated look on her face, but as soon as he saw the smirk on her lips, that good feeling did not last.

"So you want me on bed rest?" The blonde asked with a devious smirk, tilting her head in a cute manner as she looked to him. "Without being so defiant?"

He raised an eyebrow. "That would be nice."

Pointing with yet another carrot, she motioned to all the pillows around her. "Move these. Except for this one," The one under her feet. "and these ones." The ones that were lined behind her back, helping to keep the pressure and pain away.

Sasuke got up slowly and warily, but did as she commanded, wondering what was on her mind. "Okay…" When he moved them aside, to one of the chairs they never used, he turned back to her.

She was still stuffing her face, still smiling that devious smile and had a bit of peanut butter on her cheek. "Sit." She commanded further, pointing with a stalk of celery this time, to the spot directly next to her.

So that's where she was going with this. Smiling softly, the raven sat beside his beloved Princess, instinctively wrapping an arm around her shoulders, since her waist was a bit preoccupied with their baby. "Okay…so now what?"

Holding the tray of food on her tummy securely, Kirei smiled and snuggled up close to her beloved Prince and rested her head on his chest. It was hard with the baby, but she could almost hear his heart in the way she used to hear it. "I think the baby agrees with me. He's settled down considerably."

"On what?" Sasuke asked in confusion as he looked down to his love, who was looking back up to him with a smile.

She took another stalk of celery and swiped up some peanut butter, reaching up and kissing him sweetly before going back to snuggling against him. "That _**this**_ is bed rest."

* * *

Kirei sighed softly, one hand on her massive tummy, the other hand supporting herself as she sat on the near edge of her bed, she looked between the shirts on her bed.

She could be festive and wear the wool, red and green sweater thing her Nii-san had gotten her last Christmas…or the light blue maternity shirt Hinata had gotten her as an apology for Naruto's sweater. The soft white with silver designs wasn't a bad choice either, but she still couldn't choose.

She knew that no one at the Christmas party would really care what she wore – since everyone seemed to preoccupied with her tummy anyway – but she still wanted to wear something nice. "You better come out of there soon," She began to her child, smiling. "Mommy's missing her old clothes right about now."

If it could even be said, the Uchiha's tummy had grown since her diagnosis, to the point where anyone who saw her knew she was ready to pop, and indeed, Kirei was ready to have her baby.

The baby's room in their new home had just been finished a few days ago – complete with the gifts her Akatsuki brothers had given her – and, of course, she was excited to meet him. But she was nowhere near as excited as Sasuke.

When he realized that it was the 22nd of December earlier in the morning, he nearly had a heart attack. Within five days, he'd get to meet his son or daughter.

Of course, he already knew this fact since Kirei'd been having Braxton Hicks for the last couple weeks or so…but it finally hit home to him that he'd finally have a family.

His excitement was nice to see, but the blonde still trying to decide what to wear had to tell him once or twice to calm down, which was something she never thought she'd ever have to do. She knew it was probably her, but she got annoyed so easily with him anymore, especially when at first, he refused to let her go to the Christmas party.

The raven was worried, first of all, that she'd go into labor at the party, in which Kirei countered Sakura would be there to help them until they got to the hospital. She then reminded him that the baby was not a hindrance and that they should live their lives.

Kirei also pouted quite a lot and batted her eyes a few times, which always won him over.

"You know," She began softly, hearing Sasuke moving some dishes downstairs as she looked at her tummy. "you're going to have him wrapped around your little finger." She felt the baby kick and smiled. "Yes, you are. We're excited to meet you…so you better come out of there soon."

As she smiled and continued to talk to her little boy or girl, she suddenly clenched the hand on her tummy, face scrunching up in pain. It was only a pinch, but damn did it hurt!

"Another contraction?" Sasuke asked with concern as he walked into their bedroom, wondering if she'd picked her shirt yet.

She nodded slowly, biting her lip before the pain slowly faded away. "Yeah…I had another one a few hours ago." She mumbled, looking up to him and sighing before smiling again. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

He sighed as well and found a small spot beside her. Leaning toward her, he kissed her forehead. "I hate how you can read me so well." He smiled, looking into those blue eyes he loved. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I don't want you going into labor at the party…Naruto would die of excitement and god knows, we can't exist without him." He chuckled.

She giggled, nodding her head as she did so. "Yes," She answered his question, looking into his black eyes. "I'm sure I'll be fine. My water hasn't broken yet, so we're fine." She kept her eyes with his, letting her hand rub her tummy to relieve some of the leftover pain.

Watching his beloved blonde as she turned to her shirts once more, Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly. He trusted his wife with everything. He knew to trust her words and yet, there was a part of him that made him doubt. It was insanely too close – as far as he was concerned – to her due date for these contractions to be Braxton Hicks.

"You're absolutely sure?" He asked further, wanting to be completely sure that he shouldn't go get the bag, "forget" to tell Naruto and take her to the hospital.

A small sighed escaped the mouth of the blonde Uchiha, her eyes closing in annoyance. "Yes," She nearly snapped, turning her head toward him. "I'm quite sure, Sasuke." If he didn't hear the annoyance in her voice, he had to be deaf.

Fortunately, he was not. Black eyes glanced away from his wife before returning, he moving closer to her and nuzzling her neck. "I'm sorry Princess," He apologized, knowing his insecurities often drove her up a wall. "I can't help it."

She leaned closer to him, eyes still closed. "I know…I'm sorry for snapping." She knew he was just excited. After all, she was too.

He held his wife as best he could, still nuzzling her neck and placing a few kisses every once in a while. "It's okay…I'd be snapping too if I had to put up with me. Now you see why I don't get excited very often."

"Aw, but I like this side of you." She pouted playfully, blue eyes big and wide as she looked to him. "It's cute."

"Yet another reason I don't show it." He added, smiling.

Kirei continued to pout, although it was hard with the smile she was trying to hold back.

They sat together for a while, acting as they normally would – except with a giant tummy in the way – and nearly forgot they had a party to go to before Kirei looked at the time. She couldn't believe they only had 15 minutes to get dress and get to the Manor.

Unfortunately, she had a hard time trying to convince her husband to go get dressed. "Go on," She shooed him, pushing against him gently. "get something nice on." She smiled.

He complied only because of that smile, but didn't leave her side immediately. "It's not like it's going to matter if we're late."

The blonde knitted her eyebrows, blue eyes looking up to him. "Why do you say that?" The tips of her lips turned upward, knowing he was going to say something about her Nii-san.

He smirked and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to think about what he would wear. "Well, with you and the baby around, the dobe wouldn't even notice if his own hair was on fire."

* * *

Per her agreement with her raven haired husband, Kirei sat on the somewhat comfortable couch of the Hokage Manor, smiling at all who smiled at her and always answering questions about her little boy.

It definitely annoyed her sometimes, how people would just come up and touch her tummy as if it were public, but she put on a smile anyway, knowing they were just curious. That and once she actually had him, she wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Nee-chan!" Naruto cried the moment he saw his cousin resting on the couch, grin on his face before it quickly changed into a pout. "You're not wearing the sweater I bought you!" He pouted, bounding over to her and plopping down beside her.

Before answering him, she smiled and hugged her Nii-san to the best of her ability. "It didn't fit." She replied, half lying. It did fit. It only revealed a small sliver of her tummy, but it was insanely itchy. "I'll wear it next year, I promise." But he didn't have to know that.

His pout slowly pulled into a half smile. "You better, Nee-chan." He wagged a finger at her, making sure he made it perfectly clear she had to wear the sweater he got her. He spent all day trying to find something for his Nee-chan and he was going to make sure it was put to good use.

"How are you and Hinata doing?" The younger blonde asked, having not seen much of anyone for a while, since she'd been on her couch at home for the past month.

The Uzumaki smiled, sky blue eyes glancing to his wife, who seemed to be teaming up with Raiha and picking on Neji again. He'd have to join in later. "We're good. Awesome, really." He nodded, smiling even more. "Actually, we've got an announcement for everyone later."

Seeing that look on his face, that certain glow and aura about her cousin, Kirei had a pretty good feeling she knew what it was. "Oh really?" She asked, tone in her voice telling him she knew what was going on.

Before the elder of the two blondes could make her promise she wouldn't tell – even though he knew she wouldn't – the younger cringed if only slightly, her face scrunching up in pain once more. "Nee-chan, are you okay?" He asked with alarm, eyes wide.

Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, the Uchiha nodded to the best of her ability. "Y-yeah." She mumbled, waiting for the pain to pass before explaining. "I've been getting fake contractions for a while now…no big deal." She smiled a soft smile, glancing over to him.

As Sasuke had always done with that explanation, his face was skeptical, not sure on whether to believe her. But he trusted his Nee-chan, so he would let it go. "Alright, Nee-chan." He conceded, leaning over and kissing her locks gently. He then shifted his attention to the giant tummy that held his "niece" or "nephew". "You be good for your mother while I go pick on Neji, you hear me?"

Kirei smiled and shook her head, letting out a soft giggle. "Don't worry, he's been a good boy so far."

Nodding to his cousin, the elder blonde smiled and rose from his seat. He grinned when he saw the disappointing look on Neji's face, the Hyuuga already knowing Naruto was coming for him.

Still sitting on the couch, Kirei watched her friends enjoy themselves, since she couldn't exactly get up. Sighing, she thought about her words to her cousin.

Yeah, every time she'd been asked if she was okay, she was confident in her answer. She knew she was fine…and yet…this time…something seemed weird. It wasn't a bad weird, but something was nagging at the back of her mind, making the blonde wonder that maybe…

Just maybe, this _**was**_ it.

* * *

Watching the clock on the mantle above the fireplace of the Hokage Manor, Kirei had been completely ignoring everyone else as she watched the long hand move on the clock. She knew from reading all of those baby books that when she was in labor, her contractions would come closer and closer…

Shaking her head, the blonde shoved the thought out of her mind. She couldn't be in labor. She still had five days until her due date and plus, her water hadn't even broken! There was no way she could be in labor.

None at al –

Cringing even more than the last contraction, the Uchiha gripped the arm of the couch rather tightly. She didn't even bother to let it pass before looking at the clock.

15 minutes. 15 minutes had gone by from her last contraction and only 20 minutes before that one.

Okay, so maybe she was in labor. Maybe not. But to the blonde, who was still in pain, it was better to be safe than sorry. "S – " She tried to call to her husband, who stood only feet away from her, talking with whoever it was about the ending of the show.

Standing relatively close to the blonde, Sakura turned, able to hear the barely audible sound the blonde had made. Seeing how tight her hand was clenched and the way her nose was scrunched, the rosette walked over to her friend. "Kirei, are you alright?" She asked suspiciously, sitting beside her. "Was it a contraction?" She asked softly.

The blonde gulped thickly and slowly nodded, glancing at the rosette. "I've been having them all day." She winced, finally feeling some of the pain recede. It seemed with every contraction the pain lingered even more than the last. "The last one was 15 minutes ago."

The Haruno's eyes lit up in a special way, lips forming a smile as her jaw dropped slightly. "Kirei…" She started, smiling. "you're in labor."

Nearly scaring the two females shitless, a blur appeared to Kirei's right, on the opposite side of Sakura. "What did you say?" Sasuke asked, voice soft but excited, almost as if he was making sure he'd heard right. He didn't want to get all hyped up for nothing.

Shaking her head at her husband and attempting a small smile, the blonde Uchiha looked back to Sakura, smiling but disbelieving. "I can't be." She denied, still gripping the couch. "My water hasn't brok-broken yet."

The smile did not fade from Sakura's face. "It could have when you went to the bathroom." She answered, knowing very well that pregnant women went to the bathroom often. With a baby sitting on their bladder, who could blame them?

She could deny it to herself all she wanted, but the look on Sakura's face – the happy, but very sure look – was making Kirei think otherwise. Maybe…this really _**was**_ it.

"Princess," Sasuke began, voice a little louder than he expected it to be. He couldn't help it; his heart was starting to race because he might actually be welcoming their child so very soon. "Are you in labor?"

His rather excited and loud words did not go unheard by their friends, who all but stopped their chatter to look at the couple by the couch.

Blue eyes closed for a moment, first in pain but then in thought. Her contractions hadn't stopped since this morning. Each one was closer and more painful than the last. Wincing in pain once more, Kirei nodded as best she could. "…yeah…"

With how silent the Manor had become at Sasuke's words, almost all the sound returned at Kirei's, everyone spreading their happiness and congratulations for at least her, since Sasuke was too busy smiling and gathering their things to even notice anyone else. No one really blamed him, since, after all, he was pretty excited.

Yet, as excited the normally stoic Uchiha was, there was another in the room that was even more excited.

Naruto was beside his Nee-chan within the moment she'd confirmed she was in labor, and with the largest grin anyone had seen on him for a long time, he began to pace back and forth in front of Kirei. "This is so sweet, Nee-chan!" He said, looking at her and then closing his eyes. "But we've got to find the best spot, so everyone start thinking!"

Sighing a heavy sigh to relieve some of the pain, the soon to be mother looked to Sakura and then to her Nii-san. She knew she'd regret asking – she always did – but she bit her lip and asked. "Best spot," She winced. "for what, Nii-Nii-san?"

The Uzumaki stopped in his tracks, turning only his head to stare at his sister in disbelief. As if she didn't know! "For you to have the baby, duh!"

As if reading each other's mind, both Kirei and Sasuke stopped to stare at their relative with half lidded eyes. "She's having the baby in a hospital, dobe." Sasuke told his cousin-in-law with a tone that told him he shouldn't press the subject.

But this was Naruto he was talking to, and of course, the subject would be pressed. "But it'd be so cool and awesome to be born here in the Hokage Manor! If I was born here, I would've gloated to all of you and been like, "I was born right here on this table!"!" He explained, staying relatively hopeful.

Kirei was not moved. "I'm having him in a hospital." Her words were adamant and firm.

Naruto pouted, still looking to his cousin. "But Nee-chan – "

"I want drugs, dammit!"

"And you'll get them, hon." Sakura interrupted, holding the hand of her friend and helping her through this. "We're going to the hospital." She assured, watching the blonde flinch again. "Sasuke, we need to get going."

The raven was still gathering just a few more items, reaching out and grabbing the jackets Shikamaru and Kiba were so kind to get for him. "I know, I know," He spoke, voice shaky with excitement. "I just have to grab one more thing."

Naruto, still focused on his Nee-chan's rejection, crossed his arms and continued to pout. "Well fine, Nee-chan. You won't have your baby here." Then, slowly, the Uzumaki's pout turned into a smile as he turned, looking to his wife who was standing with the group Sakura had been moments before. "But our baby will be born here, won't he, Hina?"

Everything stopped. Even Kirei, in the pain she was in, stopped and looked to wife of the Uzumaki. Hinata in return, glared to her husband, blush rising on her face. "Naruto, we weren't supposed to tell them yet!"

"…You're pregnant?" Ino was the one to ask, finding her voice before anyone else could get the shocked look off their faces.

Turning back to her friends, the Hyuuga released her glare, smile coming onto her face. "Yeah," She spoke contently, setting a hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

"Not to – to be self-centered here or any – anything," Kirei began, gripping Sakura's hand with a crushing grip. "and congrats," She glanced to her friend. "but I'm kinda in – in labor here."

Smiles and wishes of congratulations were still sent the way to the Uchiha's, who, after promising they'd call to inform Naruto of his new "niece" or "nephew", left the Manor with smiles on their faces, knowing that their future was well within reach.

* * *

The sun hadn't even risen. There were signs on the dark horizon, reds and oranges battling their way through the receding black and dark of night that morning was soon upon them.

It had been a long, very long night for the blonde and the raven, but it came with no complications. The delivery was complete and utterly complication free: their baby was crying and healthy, as all healthy babies were.

Despite the most joyous occasion, Kirei had felt her heart drop when she learned that her child was a girl, but the drop did not last. Within that very second of the drop, it lifted and she smiled, knowing very well that she'd have a boy someday.

Plus, there was something about the dark, messy hair and the deepest blue eyes of her daughter that made her heart return from it's drop. It wasn't the boy she was expecting; the boy she was hoping for. But she'd love her all the same. After all, she was their first child, the first of their family – of their future – together.

"You should really rest, Princess." Sasuke whispered, not wanting to wake his sleeping daughter that rested in the arms of his wife, who rested in his arms. He couldn't even fathom sitting in the chair next to the bed.

Leaning up against him, Kirei could definitely feel sleep on her eyelids, but she kept them open, watching her little girl with a soft smile. "I'm fine." She replied, also whispering. "And so is..." The blonde drawled, nearly biting their lip because they still didn't have a name for her yet. "Small Lady."

Sasuke chuckled softly, black eyes flickering up to his wife's face before trailing to their daughter's dark hair. "I guess we should've picked out names before deciding on nicknames." He raised a hand, gently brushing some of his daughter's hair.

Kirei gently bounced as she fussed to her father's touch, also chuckling. "We should have…but we could just call her Small Lady until we find a name." Leaning back against her husband, the blonde let her body relax, low eyes meeting her daughter's eyes.

It was odd to see them, since they retained the deep blue of her own eyes – if not deeper – but seemed to retain the black of her father's eyes as well. But all babies had blue eyes, so maybe she'd have a different color. Either way, she had lovely eyes that certainly suited her dark hair.

The raven shifted gently, allowing his wife to become even more comfortable – and even sleep – as he watched the both of them, still letting everything sink in. It was hard, after everything that happened to them and himself in the past, to even believe that everything was happy now. That he had a wife, a family and was happy.

But there was proof this wasn't a dream and they were right in his arms.

"Kareanna." The blonde Uchiha spoke, eyes fixed with her daughter's. She was exactly sure where the name had come from, but it had popped into her mind. Turning her head to her husband, she looked into black eyes. "What do you think?"

The raven sighed softly, looking into those night colored eyes his wife had been looking into. Kareanna. Was that her name?

Smiling, Sasuke turned back to his wife, kissing her temple before leaning his head against hers. "It's as beautiful as she is."

Sighing the same soft sigh as he had, Kirei returned her blue eyes on her daughter before allowing them to close and drift off into sweet sleep, thinking about how her life and future were changing.

It was strange to think back upon that first year of coming to Konoha, where she had thought her life had ended after Daisuke…

Only to realize that her life then had only begun and now, was going to continue with the one she loved.

Opening her eyes once more before drifting of into a deep sleep, Kirei looked up to her beloved Prince, smiling. "I love you, Prince."

Sasuke had been along similar lines of thinking, although his were more centered around how this one little blonde had completely changed his life.

Being drawn from his thoughts, black eyes met her own blue eyes, he smiling and kissing his beloved Princess. "I love you, Princess."

* * *

They had met unexpectedly. They became friends and fell in love. The Prince had fought for his Princess and she had fought for him.

From death and back they came, never losing the love they had, and now, were going to live Happily Ever After.

_~ The End ~_

Before any one of the Actors had realized it, four long, happy years had passed. The show had long since ended, but the Actors who had portrayed their show-selves were still referred to as The Actors and were bounded by the ties and friendships they'd made.

Even with the busy lives of having wives, husbands, children, missions and other acting jobs, the Actors found it in those busy lives to hold a party – at least once a year, if not twice or thrice – to get together, to relive the old times.

It was a normal summer day in Konoha, one of those days were the sky was a pristine blue, the few clouds in the sky were white as white could be and the heat wasn't unbearable, the soft breeze blowing through making it rather perfect. Despite the weather and conditions being normal, this day was very special.

Today was one of those days where the Actors had promised to meet – and meeting they were, at their old film grounds, reliving the old times and making new times for themselves and their children.

After the show had ended, Sakura took few other acting jobs, wanting to pursue her true passion – medicine. It took time, but the rosette became one of the best well known doctor's within the Country. During her studies, especially in Suna, she had met her current husband, and now sat with her two daughters.

Sumiko was a bright girl at three years old – just like her mother – with brown hair. She definitely retained some of her mother's pink tinge, which shown when she was in the right light. She also kept her mother's eyes, although they were a deeper green.

Her sister would be Shiori, of course, when she was born. It wouldn't be much longer, seeing as Sakura was close to popping.

Just like Sakura had done, Shikamaru took few jobs acting after the show. He did take some – at his wife's nagging – and appeared in a few academy wining movies. As to why he didn't pursue more of an acting career, he was quoted as saying, "It was too troublesome."

His wife, Temari, could only sigh and smile, wanting to hit him, but also loving that side of her husband. Plus, she knew the main reason he liked to not be filming or on missions – actually, there were two reasons. They were the two little girls that loved their father with every ounce they had; Teruki, the elder at four who very much resembled her father, and Eri, their newborn.

Teruki had her mother's aggressive persona and it was always clearly seen when she climbed all over her father, but had her father's dark hair and eyes. Eri, whom they'd just met, had a mix of her parent's hair, but seemed to be like her father, always wanting to sleep and relax.

Shikamaru wouldn't admit it to the press, but he loved to spend time with his two little girls, making sure they weren't being troublesome to their hardworking mother and just spoiling them until his heart was content.

Kiba was another who liked to spoil his children, in which his wife always smacked him over the head for. He always complained at how they were so cute like little puppies, so they had to be spoiled. She countered with the fact that they'd turn into puppies if he kept treating them as such. She had to admit, though, it was hard not to spoil them.

Toboe and Hige, the twin three year old boys were a whirlwind without their father's help; Hige always stealing food and cracking jokes while Toboe used his innocence and "naivety" to get out of trouble easily. The twins also had help from their "elder brother", Tsume, who was an older dog saved from euthanasia by Kiba. He was quite protective of Toboe, but more protective of their one and half year old sister, Cheza.

The boys bore a strong resemblance to their father – brown hair and dark eyes – but had the facial structure and eye shape of their mother, while Cheza had her mother's light sand colored hair and deeply colored eyes.

Another little boy who resembled his mother – to the point where they could've been clones – was Ryohei, the third child of the elder Hyuuga couple. They weren't as content as they thought they were with just the eight year old twins, Reina and Renji, and decided to have another child, this one being yet another boy, Ryohei.

He was nearly three now, and had just started taking his first steps, which he proudly showed as he and his family walked toward their friends and family waiting for them at the film grounds.

The Uzumaki twins were especially excited at their cousin's first steps. The four year old boys Haruki and Hiraku had spent a lot of time trying to get their cousin to walk, particularly because their three year old younger brother, Naruto was also starting to walk.

Unknown to their mother and father, the twins had bet each other on who would walk first.

And as they raced to meet Ryohei and Aunt Raiha and Uncle Neji, Hinata couldn't help but smile, watching as her son Naruto tried to get up and follow them. She unfortunately, couldn't follow them to meet her relatives, seeing as how, like Sakura, she was also pregnant with her and Naruto's fourth child – a girl to be named Hariken.

Some were ultimately surprised at the number of kids Hinata and Naruto had had, but the raven haired best friend of the blonde was quoted as saying at a Premiere from one of their movies together, "I would've dropped dead if Naruto didn't have more than 3 kids."

Sasuke himself didn't have to deal with the matter, because he and Kirei only had their two children; the four year old Kareanna – who had her father wrapped around her finger – and their six month old little boy, Daisuke.

Kareanna had her mother's entrancing eyes – that held a dash of Sasuke's darkness – and also had his dark hair. She definitely was like her mother, though, since she could get anything from Sasuke with the right words and enough pouts.

Daisuke, on the other hand, definitely had Namikaze in him. He bore the blonde hair that was a Namikaze trait – although a little less bright than his Uncle's or mother's – and had light blue eyes. He was just starting to show a little personality, but seemed to be laid back and reserved like his father was – and as Kirei had told him, like her elder brother.

* * *

Despite how their parents came to these grounds to catch up with each other and reminisce on the past, the children came to the grounds to play, to talk about and boast about their futures.

It was a joy to their parents to see everything come full circle, from their childhood days when they were at the academy, boasting about how they'd be the best Hokage, the best Doctor, the best Daydreamer, the best Ninja…to now, as they achieved their dreams and watched their children dream.

It wasn't cliché enough to say that the worst chapter was over. That everything bad was behind them, done and over with. It was cliché enough, however, to say that this wasn't the end.

That their lives had only just begun and the real adventure was right there in front of them, waiting beyond the blue skies and green trees of Konoha.


End file.
